Awaji, Hyōgo

The city of Awaji occupies the northern third of Awaji Island. It is connected to Kobe City to the north by the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and is sandwiched between Osaka Bay and the Gulf of Harima on the Seto Inland Sea. There are no large rivers in the city, but there are many agricultural ponds. The Tsuna hills run through the center of the city, with Mount Myoken (522 meters) as the highest point. The Nojima Fault (the focus of the Great Hanshin earthquake) is located in the city.

Hyogo Prefecture

• Sumoto

Awaji has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Awaji is 16.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1600 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.6 °C.[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/hyogo-prefecture/awaji-5365/ Awaji climate data]

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|location = Awaji city, elevation 5 meters, 1981-2010)

|Jan record high C = 20.8

|Feb record high C = 22.0

|Mar record high C = 24.2

|Apr record high C = 28.7

|May record high C = 31.4

|Jun record high C = 34.2

|Jul record high C = 37.0

|Aug record high C = 38.2

|Sep record high C = 36.0

|Oct record high C = 31.1

|Nov record high C = 25.8

|Dec record high C = 23.6

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 9.3

|Feb high C = 9.7

|Mar high C = 12.8

|Apr high C = 18.6

|May high C = 23.1

|Jun high C = 26.4

|Jul high C = 30.3

|Aug high C = 31.9

|Sep high C = 28.3

|Oct high C = 22.7

|Nov high C = 17.3

|Dec high C = 12.1

|year high C = 20.2

| Jan mean C = 5.6

| Feb mean C = 5.7

| Mar mean C = 8.4

| Apr mean C = 13.6

| May mean C = 18.2

| Jun mean C = 22.2

| Jul mean C = 26.2

| Aug mean C = 27.4

| Sep mean C = 24.0

| Oct mean C = 18.2

| Nov mean C = 12.9

| Dec mean C = 8.1

| year mean C = 15.9

|Jan low C = 1.5

|Feb low C = 1.4

|Mar low C = 3.6

|Apr low C = 8.4

|May low C = 13.4

|Jun low C = 18.5

|Jul low C = 22.9

|Aug low C = 23.8

|Sep low C = 20.2

|Oct low C = 13.8

|Nov low C = 8.4

|Dec low C = 3.8

|year low C = 11.7

|Jan record low C = -5.1

|Feb record low C = -5.2

|Mar record low C = -3.7

|Apr record low C = -0.9

|May record low C = 3.8

|Jun record low C = 9.4

|Jul record low C = 16.6

|Aug record low C = 16.7

|Sep record low C = 10.0

|Oct record low C = 3.9

|Nov record low C = 0.3

|Dec record low C = -4.3

|year record low C =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 33.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 50.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 82.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 89.3

|May precipitation mm = 120.9

|Jun precipitation mm = 157.5

|Jul precipitation mm = 115.7

|Aug precipitation mm = 89.2

|Sep precipitation mm = 145.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 101.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 69.1

|Dec precipitation mm = 38.7

|year precipitation mm = 1093.1

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 5.8

|Feb precipitation days = 6.2

|Mar precipitation days = 9.9

|Apr precipitation days = 9.0

|May precipitation days = 9.4

|Jun precipitation days = 11.6

|Jul precipitation days = 9.6

|Aug precipitation days = 5.9

|Sep precipitation days = 9.7

|Oct precipitation days = 8.1

|Nov precipitation days = 6.2

|Dec precipitation days = 5.7

|year precipitation days = 97.1

|Jan sun = 140.9

|Feb sun = 152.4

|Mar sun = 180.3

|Apr sun = 201.4

|May sun = 200.5

|Jun sun = 163.7

|Jul sun = 198.8

|Aug sun = 240.1

|Sep sun = 173.3

|Oct sun = 172.2

|Nov sun = 147.2

|Dec sun = 141.4

|year sun = 2110.3

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) (averages：1981-2010、peaks：1976-present)

{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=63&block_no=0970&year=&month=&day=&view=

| title = 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| accessdate = 2021-01-02

| publisher = JMA}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=63&block_no=0970&year=&month=&day=&view=

| title = 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| accessdate = 2021-01-02

| publisher = JMA}}

}}

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-osaka.php Hyōgo population statistics] the population of Awaji has been declining steadily over the past 70 years.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 69948

| 1930 | 69667

| 1940 | 67926

| 1950 | 82874

| 1960 | 71378

| 1970 | 61675

| 1980 | 57650

| 1990 | 54643

| 2000 | 51884

| 2010 | 46465

|align = none

| footnote =

}}

The city of Awaji is situated in ancient Awaji Province. It was ruled as part of Tokushima Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji restoration, it became part of Tsuna District, Hyōgo. The town of Iwaya was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system April 1, 1889. On April 1, 1956 Iwaya merged with the neighboring town of Kariya and the villages of Url and Hamaguchi to form the town of Awaji; however, on June 19, 1961 a portion of the town was separated to form the town of Higashiura. On April 1, 2005 Awaji and Higashiura merged back together, along with the towns of Tsuna, Hokudan and Ichinomiya to form the city of Awaji.

Awaji has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Awaji contributes one member to the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo 9th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The local economy is largely rural, and is based on agriculture and commercial fishing. Awaji has traditionally been famous for its production of joss sticks, which in the early 1960s accounted for 70% of the Japanese domestic market. The production of roof tiles is also a local speciality.

Awaji has 11 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There are also two private high schools. The Kansai University of Nursing and Health Sciences is located in Awaji.

The Ashiya University Awajishima Seaside Seminar Center, Kobe University Inland Sea Environment Education and Research Center and University of Hyogo Graduate School of Green Environment and Landscape Management are all located in Awaji.

The Awaji City Library serves Awaji. In 1999 this library and the West Bloomfield Library in West Bloomfield, Michigan in Metro Detroit were paired as sister institutions.Hubred-Golden, Joni. "[http://westbloomfield.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/students-from-japan-visit-west-bloomfield-library Students from Japan Visit West Bloomfield Library]." West Bloomfield Patch. July 31, 2013. Retrieved on November 10, 2013.

Awaji does not have any passenger rail service.

• File:JP Expressway E28.svg Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|28}}

Jointly with Minami Awaji and Sumoto, the city operates a low-cost electric bike rental scheme, designed to attract visitors to stay for more than one day in order to explore the island.{{cite news | title = Rental bicycles eyed to boost tourism | newspaper = Yomiuri Shimbun | location = Japan | date = 19 July 2010 | url = http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100718001401.htm | access-date = 2 August 2010}}

• {{flagicon|Brazil}} Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil, since May 29, 1986
• {{flagicon|USA}} St. Marys, Ohio, United States, since August 3, 2006

File:Westin Awaji Island Hotel 02.jpg]]

• Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
• Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park
• Awaji World Park Onokoro
• Awaji Yumebutai (Kiseki No Hoshi Greenhouse)
• Esaki Lighthouse
• Funaki Site, National Historic Site
• Gossa Kaito Site, National Historic Site
• Honpuku-ji Temple
• Izanagi Jingū, ichinomiya of Awaji Province
• Matsuho Battery Site, National Historic Site

• Toshio Iue, inventor and industrialist
• Takashi Sasano, actor
• Tetsuya Watari, actor
• Harukichi Yamaguchi, yakuza

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Awaji, Hyogo|Awaji, Hyōgo}}
• [http://www.city.awaji.lg.jp/ Awaji City official website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Portal|Japan}}

{{Hyogo}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Awaji, Hyogo}}

Category:Cities in Hyōgo Prefecture

Category:Port settlements in Japan

Category:Populated coastal places in Japan