Toyooka, Hyōgo

Toyooka is located in the northern part of Hyōgo Prefecture and the Kinki region, facing the Sea of Japan in the north. It lies entirely within the San'in Kaigan Geopark.[http://sanin-geo.jp/modules/geopark/index.php/info/index001.html "What is San'in Kaigan Geopark" on the official website of San'in Kaigan Geopark (in Japanese)] The Maruyama River flows through the central part of the city, and the Toyooka Basin, which is the largest basin in the Tajima region, spreads out in the central part of the city. Toyooka is located in the "snow country" of Japan and is characterized by heavy accumulations of snow in winter. One of Toyooka's famous geological features is a basalt cave called Gembudō. Gembudō was formed 1.6 million years ago from the eruption of an ancient volcano. In 1926, Professor Motonori Matuyama of Kyoto University first proposed the theory of geomagnetic polarity reversal at Genbudo after discovering it had a reverse magnetization.

The wetlands of Toyooka provide an important habitat for the oriental stork. After becoming extinct in the wild in the 1970s, Toyooka began a captive breeding program. After a quarter of a century of breeding efforts, the first oriental stork chick was born in 1989. In 2005 Toyooka released 5 captively bred storks, which bred successfully in the wild. As of June 2015 there are 72 wild oriental white storks in Toyooka.

The hot spring resort Kinosaki Onsen is located within Toyooka.

Hyōgo Prefecture

• Asago
• Kami
• Yabu

Kyoto Prefecture

• Fukuchiyama
• Kyotango
• Yosano

Kyōtango has a humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/hyogo-prefecture/toyooka-5374/ Toyooka climate data] Although part of the Kansai region and Hyōgo Prefecture, Toyooka has a climate much more similar to the Hokuriku region of Chūbu and Tōhoku. Unlike Osaka or Kobe, which rarely see significant snowfall during the winter, Toyooka, exposed to the northerly winter winds driven by the Siberian High and Aleutian Low, receives {{convert|3.1|m|in|1}} of snowfall per year, though melt rates are high even during the winter and the maximum cover on the ground is typically only {{convert|0.35|m|in|1}} and has never exceeded {{convert|0.54|m|in|1}}. Precipitation is much heavier than in central Kansai, though less heavy than in the Kii Peninsula or the Hokuriku region proper.

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|location = Toyooka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1918−present)

|Jan record high C = 21.4

|Feb record high C = 23.0

|Mar record high C = 26.8

|Apr record high C = 32.2

|May record high C = 33.9

|Jun record high C = 38.4

|Jul record high C = 39.3

|Aug record high C = 39.7

|Sep record high C = 38.0

|Oct record high C = 32.4

|Nov record high C = 27.4

|Dec record high C = 23.8

|year record high C = 39.7

|Jan high C = 7.4

|Feb high C = 8.4

|Mar high C = 13.0

|Apr high C = 19.3

|May high C = 24.3

|Jun high C = 27.3

|Jul high C = 31.2

|Aug high C = 32.8

|Sep high C = 27.8

|Oct high C = 22.2

|Nov high C = 16.5

|Dec high C = 10.5

|Jan mean C = 3.3

|Feb mean C = 3.7

|Mar mean C = 7.2

|Apr mean C = 12.7

|May mean C = 17.8

|Jun mean C = 21.8

|Jul mean C = 26.0

|Aug mean C = 27.1

|Sep mean C = 22.6

|Oct mean C = 16.6

|Nov mean C = 11.1

|Dec mean C = 5.9

|Jan low C = 0.4

|Feb low C = 0.2

|Mar low C = 2.4

|Apr low C = 6.9

|May low C = 12.4

|Jun low C = 17.7

|Jul low C = 22.3

|Aug low C = 23.1

|Sep low C = 18.9

|Oct low C = 12.6

|Nov low C = 7.2

|Dec low C = 2.5

|Jan record low C = -12.5

|Feb record low C = -11.1

|Mar record low C = -11.0

|Apr record low C = -3.2

|May record low C = 0.7

|Jun record low C = 6.0

|Jul record low C = 13.0

|Aug record low C = 13.8

|Sep record low C = 7.9

|Oct record low C = 2.0

|Nov record low C = -2.2

|Dec record low C = -9.1

|year record low C = -12.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 248.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 188.0

|Mar precipitation mm = 150.6

|Apr precipitation mm = 99.6

|May precipitation mm = 122.1

|Jun precipitation mm = 150.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 187.7

|Aug precipitation mm = 144.5

|Sep precipitation mm = 243.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 172.4

|Nov precipitation mm = 154.6

|Dec precipitation mm = 227.6

|year precipitation mm = 2072.0

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 21.2

|Feb precipitation days = 17.0

|Mar precipitation days = 15.0

|Apr precipitation days = 10.7

|May precipitation days = 10.0

|Jun precipitation days = 10.9

|Jul precipitation days = 11.9

|Aug precipitation days = 9.9

|Sep precipitation days = 12.8

|Oct precipitation days = 12.0

|Nov precipitation days = 14.1

|Dec precipitation days = 19.5

|Jan snow cm = 82

|Feb snow cm = 74

|Mar snow cm = 14

|Apr snow cm = trace

|May snow cm = 0

|Jun snow cm = 0

|Jul snow cm = 0

|Aug snow cm = 0

|Sep snow cm = 0

|Oct snow cm = 0

|Nov snow cm = trace

|Dec snow cm = 34

|year snow cm = 204

|unit snow days = 1 cm

|Jan snow days = 12.5

|Feb snow days = 11.3

|Mar snow days = 2.9

|Apr snow days = 0.1

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0

|Nov snow days = 0.1

|Dec snow days = 5.7

|humidity colour= green

|Jan humidity = 84

|Feb humidity = 81

|Mar humidity = 75

|Apr humidity = 71

|May humidity = 71

|Jun humidity = 77

|Jul humidity = 79

|Aug humidity = 76

|Sep humidity = 80

|Oct humidity = 81

|Nov humidity = 82

|Dec humidity = 83

|Jan sun = 65.0

|Feb sun = 75.4

|Mar sun = 116.8

|Apr sun = 164.0

|May sun = 186.8

|Jun sun = 138.1

|Jul sun = 150.5

|Aug sun = 189.0

|Sep sun = 123.2

|Oct sun = 115.0

|Nov sun = 90.6

|Dec sun = 72.9

|year sun = 1487.3

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=63&block_no=47747&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|language=ja|script-title=ja:平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = 2011-11-25 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency

}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=63&block_no=47747&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|language=ja|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）| access-date = 2011-11-25 | publisher = Japan Meteorological Agency

}}

|date=August 2010

}}

Per Japanese census data, the population of Toyooka in 2020 is 77,489 people. Toyooka has been conducting censuses since 1950.

{{Historical populations

| 1950 | 102838

| 1955 | 102557

| 1960 | 99572

| 1965 | 96599

| 1970 | 94732

| 1975 | 95687

| 1980 | 96448

| 1985 | 96086

| 1990 | 94163

| 1995 | 93859

| 2000 | 92752

| 2005 | 89208

| 2010 | 85607

| 2015 | 82250

| 2020 | 77489

|align = none

| footnote = Toyooka population statistics[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/hyogo/ Toyooka population statistics]

}}

The area of Toyooka was the center of ancient Tajima Province in the early 8th century and the location of the provincial capital and the Tajima Kokubun-ji. From the Muromachi period to the end of the Sengoku period, the area was under the stronghold of the powerful Yamana clan. Under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate, Toyooka Domain and Izushi Domain existed within the borders of what is now the city of Toyooka. In 1871, following the Meiji restoration, "Toyooka Prefecture" incorporating all of the former feudal territories within Tajima, Tango and Tanba Provinces was created. It was abolished on August 21, 1876, when Hyōgo Prefecture was created. The town of Toyooka was officially established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The 1925 North Tajima earthquake created severe damage in Toyooka, with official government reports, indicating that there were 428 fatalities, 1,016 injuries, 7,863 buildings destroyed, and 45,659 houses damaged by collapse or fire.植村善博、「[https://archives.bukkyo-u.ac.jp/repository/baker/rid_RO000400007629 1925年北但馬地震における豊岡町の被害と復興過程]」 佛教大学歴史学部 {{ISSN|2185-4203}}, 『歴史学部論集』 4巻 p.1-18, 2014年03月01日

The city of Toyooka was created on April 1, 1950 by the merger of Toyooka with neighboring Gosho, Nitta, and Nakasuji villages. The city expanded on April 1, 1955 by annexing Nasa and Minato villages. On April 1, 2005, the towns of Kinosaki, Hidaka and Takeno (all from Kinosaki District) and the towns of Izushi and Tantō (both from Izushi District) were merged into Toyooka.

Toyooka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 24 members. Toyooka contributes one member to the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Hyōgo 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Toyooka has mostly a rural economy based on agriculture and commercial fishing.

Toyooka has 22 public elementary schools and nine public middle schools operated by the city government and four public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Department of Education. There is also one private middle school and one private high school. The Toyooka Junior College and the Professional College of Arts and Tourism are also located in the city. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

File:JR West Toyooka railway in Hyogo Prefecture.jpg

The Sanin Main Line provides a JR rail connection to Kyoto, and direct trains to Osaka are available via Fukuchiyama. Direct Express trains take about 2.5 hours from Osaka to Toyooka.

22 px JR West – San'in Main Line

• {{STN|Ebara|x}} - {{STN|Kokufu|x}} - {{STN|Toyooka|x|Hyōgo}} - {{STN|Gembudō|x}} - {{STN|Kinosaki Onsen|x}} - {{STN|Takeno|x}}

40px Kyoto Tango Railway – Miyazu Line

• {{STN|Toyooka|x|Hyōgo}} - {{STN|Kōnotori-no-sato|x}}

• File:JP Expressway E72.svg Kitakinki-Toyooka Expressway
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|178}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|312}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|426}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|482}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|483}}

Tajima Airport serves Toyooka and its area with two direct flights a day to Osaka Itami Airport

• {{flagicon|JPN}} Ueda, Nagano Prefecture (since the former city of Ueda and the former town of Izushi were sister cities before the recent creation of both Toyooka and Ueda)
• {{flagicon|ROK}} Gyeongju, South Korea
• {{flagicon|SPA}} Alicante, Spain, since 1996

• Hyōgo Prefectural Stork Nature Park
• Izushi Castle
• Kinosaki Marine World
• Kinosaki Onsen
• Mount Kannabe
• Tajima Kokubun-ji ruins
• Takeno Beach

File:130914 Hattandaki Waterfall Toyooka Hyogo pref Japan02s5.jpg|Hattan Falls in Kannabe highlands

File:Cherry blossoms in Kinosaki Onsen.jpg|Cherry blossoms in Kinosaki Onsen

File:Genbudo cave.JPG|Genbudo cave

File:Toyooka City Mascot Gensan.jpg|Toyooka City Mascot Gensan

File:TakenoBeach Hyogo prefecture.jpg|Takeno Beach

File:Izushi Castle Inari Shrine.JPG|Izushi Castle Inari Shrine

File:Toyooka City Oriental White Stork.jpg|Toyooka City Oriental white stork

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Toyooka, Hyogo}}

• {{URL|www.visitkinosaki.com| Toyooka and Kinosaki Onsen Official Website}} {{in lang|en}}

{{Hyogo}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toyooka, Hyogo}}

Category:Cities in Hyōgo Prefecture

Category:Toyooka, Hyōgo

Category:Populated coastal places in Japan