Shiwa, Iwate

Shiwa is located in central Iwate Prefecture, in the Kitakami River basin, south of the prefectural capital of Morioka. The Sannōkai Dam is located in Shiwa.

Iwate Prefecture

• Hanamaki
• Morioka
• Shizukuishi
• Yahaba

Shiwa has a humid oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Shiwa is 10.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1326 mm with September as the wettest month and February as the driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.3 °C.[https://en.climate-data.org/location/49284/ Shiwa climate data]

{{Weather box|width=auto

|collapsed = Y

|location = Shiwa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|Jan record high C = 12.9

|Feb record high C = 13.0

|Mar record high C = 20.7

|Apr record high C = 29.0

|May record high C = 33.3

|Jun record high C = 33.5

|Jul record high C = 36.1

|Aug record high C = 36.3

|Sep record high C = 35.2

|Oct record high C = 29.1

|Nov record high C = 21.2

|Dec record high C = 17.9

|Jan high C = 1.7

|Feb high C = 2.8

|Mar high C = 7.4

|Apr high C = 14.4

|May high C = 20.1

|Jun high C = 23.8

|Jul high C = 26.9

|Aug high C = 28.2

|Sep high C = 24.1

|Oct high C = 17.9

|Nov high C = 10.9

|Dec high C = 4.2

|Jan mean C = -2.0

|Feb mean C = -1.3

|Mar mean C = 2.4

|Apr mean C = 8.5

|May mean C = 14.4

|Jun mean C = 18.6

|Jul mean C = 22.2

|Aug mean C = 23.3

|Sep mean C = 19.1

|Oct mean C = 12.6

|Nov mean C = 6.1

|Dec mean C = 0.5

|Jan low C = -5.9

|Feb low C = -5.5

|Mar low C = -2.1

|Apr low C = 2.9

|May low C = 9.1

|Jun low C = 14.2

|Jul low C = 18.5

|Aug low C = 19.4

|Sep low C = 14.9

|Oct low C = 7.7

|Nov low C = 1.7

|Dec low C = -3.0

|Jan record low C = -16.9

|Feb record low C = -16.6

|Mar record low C = -11.6

|Apr record low C = -7.9

|May record low C = -0.7

|Jun record low C = 3.9

|Jul record low C = 8.7

|Aug record low C = 10.3

|Sep record low C = 4.0

|Oct record low C = -1.5

|Nov record low C = -6.9

|Dec record low C = -14.1

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 47.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 44.6

|Mar precipitation mm = 79.4

|Apr precipitation mm = 84.8

|May precipitation mm = 109.3

|Jun precipitation mm = 119.4

|Jul precipitation mm = 180.5

|Aug precipitation mm = 178.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 154.6

|Oct precipitation mm = 110.3

|Nov precipitation mm = 87.7

|Dec precipitation mm = 71.4

|year precipitation mm = 1267.5

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 10.9

|Feb precipitation days = 9.5

|Mar precipitation days = 11.9

|Apr precipitation days = 10.8

|May precipitation days = 11.1

|Jun precipitation days = 10.0

|Jul precipitation days = 13.2

|Aug precipitation days = 11.3

|Sep precipitation days = 11.9

|Oct precipitation days = 11.1

|Nov precipitation days = 12.5

|Dec precipitation days = 12.5

|Jan sun = 100.0

|Feb sun = 111.4

|Mar sun = 151.4

|Apr sun = 176.2

|May sun = 191.6

|Jun sun = 166.9

|Jul sun = 133.7

|Aug sun = 155.0

|Sep sun = 130.3

|Oct sun = 136.6

|Nov sun = 117.1

|Dec sun = 95.1

|year sun = 1665.1

|source 1 = JMA{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=33&block_no=1128&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 = February 25, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=33&block_no=1128&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = February 25, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/Japan-Iwate.html Shiwa population statistics] the population of Shiwa has remained relatively steady over the past 70 years.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 22,831

| 1930 | 24,291

| 1940 | 25,361

| 1950 | 31,221

| 1960 | 29,327

| 1970 | 26,459

| 1980 | 27,787

| 1990 | 29,856

| 2000 | 33,038

| 2010 | 33,252

| 2020 | 32,147

|align = none

| footnote =

}}

The area of present-day Shiwa was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period. The area was inhabited by the Emishi people, and came under the control of the imperial dynasty during the early Heian period. During the Kamakura period, the area was ruled by a branch of the Northern Fujiwara, followed by the Shiba clan during the Muromachi period. During the Sengoku period, the area was conquered by the Nambu clan in 1588. During the Edo period, Shiwa prospered as a post station on the Ōshū Kaidō highway connecting Edo with the northern provinces, as well as from its location on the Kitakami River. Initially part of Morioka Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate, from 1684, four villages (Tsuchidate, Katayose, Inato and Kamihirazawa) formed an exclave of Hachinohe Domain.

During the Meiji period, this exclave became the village of Shiwa, and the town of Hizume and the villages of Furudate, Mizuwake, Akaishi, Hikobe, Sahinai, Akasawa, ane Nagaoka were established within Shiwa District on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. These municipalities were merged on April 1, 1955 to form the new town of Shiwa.

Shiwa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members. Shiwa, and the town of Yahaba collectively contribute two seats to the Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Iwate 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The local economy of Shiwa is traditionally based on agriculture, primarily rice cultivation, apples, grapes and cucumbers; however, due to its proximity to Morioka city, it is increasingly serving as a bedroom community.

Shiwa has eleven public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education.[http://www.office.shiwacho.ed.jp Shiwa Town Board of Education]{{in lang|ja}}

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

• {{STN|Hizume|x}} – {{STN|Shiwachūō|x}} – {{STN|Furudate|x}}

• {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E4}} – Takizawa Interchange
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|4}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|396}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|456}}

• {{flagicon|USA}} Portage, Michigan, United States
• {{flagicon|Australia}} Southern Downs, Queensland, Australia{{cite web|url=http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=03&n=Iwate%20Prefecture|title=International Exchange|work=List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures|publisher=Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR)|language=English|accessdate=21 November 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222103408/http://www.clair.or.jp/cgi-bin/simai/e/03.cgi?p=03&n=Iwate%20Prefecture|archivedate=22 December 2015}}

• Toru Yoshida, professional soccer player

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.town.shiwa.iwate.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Iwate}}

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Category:Towns in Iwate Prefecture