Hirakawa, Aomori

Hirakawa is located in the mountains and hills to the northwest of Lake Towada. The Iwaki River flows through the city. Part of the city is within the borders of the Kuroishi Onsenkyō Prefectural Natural Park.

Akita Prefecture

• Kosaka
• Ōdate

Aomori Prefecture

• Aomori
• Hirosaki
• Inakadate
• Kuroishi
• Owani
• Towada

The city has a cold humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) characterized by warm short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hirakawa is 8.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1413 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -3.8 °C.[https://en.climate-data.org/location/5403/ Hirakawa climate data]

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|collapsed = yes

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|location = Hirakawa (1981-2010)

|Jan high C = 0.5

|Feb high C = 1.5

|Mar high C = 5.6

|Apr high C = 13.8

|May high C = 19.4

|Jun high C = 23.5

|Jul high C = 26.6

|Aug high C = 28.5

|Sep high C = 23.8

|Oct high C = 17.4

|Nov high C = 9.9

|Dec high C = 3.3

|year high C = 14.4

|Jan mean C = -3.0

|Feb mean C = -2.5

|Mar mean C = 0.9

|Apr mean C = 7.6

|May mean C = 13.3

|Jun mean C = 17.6

|Jul mean C = 21.4

|Aug mean C = 22.9

|Sep mean C = 18.1

|Oct mean C = 11.4

|Nov mean C = 5.0

|Dec mean C = -0.3

|year mean C = 9.4

|Jan low C = -6.7

|Feb low C = -6.6

|Mar low C = -3.5

|Apr low C = 2.1

|May low C = 7.6

|Jun low C = 12.6

|Jul low C = 17.2

|Aug low C = 18.5

|Sep low C = 13.3

|Oct low C = 6.5

|Nov low C = 0.8

|Dec low C = -3.7

|year low C = 4.8

|Jan record low C =-16.6

|Feb record low C =-15.2

|Mar record low C =-13.5

|Apr record low C =-8.4

|May record low C =-1.2

|Jun record low C =1.4

|Jul record low C =7.9

|Aug record low C =9.1

|Sep record low C =3.6

|Oct record low C =-1.9

|Nov record low C =-8.0

|Dec record low C =-15.2

|year record low C =-16.6

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=31&block_no=0175&year=&month=&day=&view=

| title = Ikarigaseki（Hirakawa） 19801-2010年 | access-date = 2011-10-18 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency

}}

|date= November 2013

}}

The area around Hirakawa was part of the Hirosaki Domain of the Tsugaru clan during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, it became part of Minamitsugaru District, Aomori. The village of Onoe was raised to town status on April 1, 1937. The city of Hirakawa was established on January 1, 2006, from the merger of the towns of Hiraka and Onoe, and the village of Ikarigaseki.

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-aomori.php Hirakawa population statistics] the population of Hirakawa has decreased steadily over the past 60 years.

{{Historical populations

| percentages = pagr

| align = none

| cols = 1

| graph-pos = bottom

| 1960 | 42,492

| 1970 | 39,360

| 1980 | 38,979

| 1990 | 37,948

| 2000 | 36,454

| 2010 | 33,764

| 2020 | 30,567

| footnote =

}}

File:Hirakawa city hall.jpg

Hirakawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 16 members. The city elects two members to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aomori 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The economy of Hirakawa is primarily agricultural, with rice and apples as the predominant crops. The city government is encouraging the development of highland vegetables and a local brand of beef.{{cite web|url=http://www.city.hirakawa.lg.jp/english/|title=Hirakawa Introduction|publisher=Hirakawa City Government|language=en|access-date=22 December 2015|archive-date=14 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514203331/http://www.city.hirakawa.lg.jp/english/|url-status=dead}}

Hirakawa has nine public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education.

22px East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Ōu Main Line

• {{STN|Tsugaru-Yunosawa|x}}, {{STN|Ikarigaseki|x}}

22px Kōnan Railway Company - Kōnan Railway Kōnan Line

• {{STN|Tachita|x}}, {{STN|Hiraka|x}}, {{STN|Hakunōkōkōmae|x}}, {{STN|Tsugaru-Onoe|x}}, {{STN|Onoekōkōmae|x}}

• {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E4}}

:{{jct|country=JPN|Route|7}}

:{{jct|country=JPN|Route|102}}

:{{jct|country=JPN|Route|182}}

:{{jct|country=JPN|Route|454}}

• Hisayoshi Dam
• Ikarigaseki onsen
• Kuroishi Onsenkyō Prefectural Natural Park
• Nurukawa onsen
• Saruka Jinja
• Seibi-en, National Place of Scenic Beauty{{cite web |url=https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/100 |title=盛美園 |publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs |access-date=10 February 2012 }}
• Seitō Shoin Teien, National Place of Scenic Beauty{{cite web |url=http://bunka.nii.ac.jp/SearchDetail.do?heritageId=204613 |title=Seitoshi shoin teien |publisher=Agency for Cultural Affairs |access-date=10 February 2012}}

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• {{Official|1=http://www.city.hirakawa.lg.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}

{{Aomori}}

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Category:Cities in Aomori Prefecture