:Zaō, Miyagi

Zaō is located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan in southwestern Miyagi Prefecture in the Ōu Mountains, bordered by Yamagata Prefecture to the west. Parts of the town are within the borders of Zaō Quasi-National Park and Zaō Kōgen Prefectural Natural Park.

Miyagi Prefecture

• Kawasaki
• Murata
• Ōgawara
• Shichikashuku
• Shiroishi

Yamagata Prefecture

• Kaminoyama

Zaō has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Zaō is {{cvt|11.7|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1343.9|mm}} with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{cvt|23.8|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|0.6|C}}.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Zaō (2005−2020 normals, extremes 2005−present)

|Jan record high C = 15.0

|Feb record high C = 18.8

|Mar record high C = 23.9

|Apr record high C = 30.3

|May record high C = 32.9

|Jun record high C = 35.9

|Jul record high C = 36.5

|Aug record high C = 37.0

|Sep record high C = 34.2

|Oct record high C = 29.7

|Nov record high C = 23.8

|Dec record high C = 19.2

|Jan record low C = -11.6

|Feb record low C = -12.3

|Mar record low C = -7.8

|Apr record low C = -5.3

|May record low C = 0.5

|Jun record low C = 4.6

|Jul record low C = 11.3

|Aug record low C = 11.4

|Sep record low C = 6.5

|Oct record low C = 1.2

|Nov record low C = -5.1

|Dec record low C = -7.8

|Jan high C = 5.4

|Feb high C = 6.4

|Mar high C = 10.4

|Apr high C = 15.5

|May high C = 21.5

|Jun high C = 24.2

|Jul high C = 27.0

|Aug high C = 29.0

|Sep high C = 25.2

|Oct high C = 19.7

|Nov high C = 13.8

|Dec high C = 7.9

|Jan mean C = 0.6

|Feb mean C = 1.1

|Mar mean C = 4.4

|Apr mean C = 9.3

|May mean C = 15.1

|Jun mean C = 18.7

|Jul mean C = 22.3

|Aug mean C = 23.8

|Sep mean C = 19.8

|Oct mean C = 14.0

|Nov mean C = 7.9

|Dec mean C = 2.8

|Jan low C = -3.8

|Feb low C = -3.7

|Mar low C = -1.2

|Apr low C = 3.2

|May low C = 9.2

|Jun low C = 14.3

|Jul low C = 19.0

|Aug low C = 20.2

|Sep low C = 15.8

|Oct low C = 9.1

|Nov low C = 2.8

|Dec low C = -1.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 46.1

|Feb precipitation mm = 37.1

|Mar precipitation mm = 72.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 101.0

|May precipitation mm = 106.0

|Jun precipitation mm = 146.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 183.4

|Aug precipitation mm = 172.6

|Sep precipitation mm = 199.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 162.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 50.4

|Dec precipitation mm = 63.2

|year precipitation mm = 1343.9

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 7.0

|Feb precipitation days = 5.9

|Mar precipitation days = 7.9

|Apr precipitation days = 8.1

|May precipitation days = 9.2

|Jun precipitation days = 11.2

|Jul precipitation days = 15.4

|Aug precipitation days = 12.2

|Sep precipitation days = 12.4

|Oct precipitation days = 8.9

|Nov precipitation days = 6.8

|Dec precipitation days = 9.3

|Jan sun = 144.1

|Feb sun = 145.3

|Mar sun = 173.5

|Apr sun = 181.6

|May sun = 195.3

|Jun sun = 143.7

|Jul sun = 110.4

|Aug sun = 140.5

|Sep sun = 124.6

|Oct sun = 133.6

|Nov sun = 138.7

|Dec sun = 128.5

|year sun = 1756.3

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=34&block_no=1564&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 23, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=34&block_no=1564&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 23, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-miyagi.php Zaō population statistics] the population of Zaō has declined by approximately 30 percent from its peak in the 1950s.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 10,384

| 1930 | 11,397

| 1940 | 13,750

| 1950 | 16,474

| 1960 | 15,901

| 1970 | 14,037

| 1980 | 13,833

| 1990 | 14,074

| 2000 | 13,545

| 2010 | 12,882

| 2020 | 11,418

|align = none

| footnote =

}}

The area of present-day Zaō was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and was part of the holdings of Sendai Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. It was made part Katta District in the new Iwaki Province at the start of the Meiji period. The district was transferred to Miyagi Prefecture on 21 August 1876. The villages of Enda and Miyamura was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. The two villages merged on April 1, 1955 to form the town of Zaō.

Zaō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Zaō, collectively with the city of Shiroishi and the town of Shichikashuku, contributes two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Miyagi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The economy of Zaō is largely based on agriculture (primarily through the use of polytunnels) and forestry and seasonal tourism.

Zaō has five public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

Zaō does not have any passenger train service.

• {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E4}} – Zaō Parking Area
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|4}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|457}}

• Mount Zaō
• Sankai Falls
• Zaō Kōgen Prefectural Natural Park
• Zaō Quasi-National Park

{{reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Zao, Miyagi|Zaō, Miyagi}}
• [http://www.town.zao.miyagi.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Miyagi}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zao, Miyagi}}

Category:Towns in Miyagi Prefecture