Tsugaru, Aomori

Tsugaru つがる市
City
Mount Iwaki stands prominently to the southwest of Tsugaru
Flag Seal
Location of Tsugaru in Aomori Prefecture
Tsugaru
Coordinates: 40°48′31.4″N 140°22′48.2″E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Aomori
Area
• Total	253.55 km2 (97.90 sq mi)
Population  (December 31, 2017)
• Total	33,254
• Density	130/km2 (340/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Japanese Black Pine
- Bird	Common cuckoo
Phone number	0173-42-2111
Address	61-1 Kizukuri Wakamidori, Tsugaru-shi, Aomori-ken 038-3192
Website	Official website

Tsugaru City Hall

Tsugaru (つがる市, Tsugaru-shi) is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 December 2017, the city had an estimated population of 33,254 in 13,750 households and a population density of 130 persons per km². The total area of the city was 253.55 square kilometres (97.90 sq mi). The city's name is atypical for a Japanese place, in that it is written in hiragana rather than kanji (see hiragana cities).

Geography

Tsugaru is located on the west coast of Tsugaru Peninsula, facing the Sea of Japan. The Iwaki River flows through the city. The city has a cold humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tsugaru is 10.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1298 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.3 °C.

Neighbouring municipalities

• Aomori Prefecture
  • Hirosaki
  • Goshogawara
  • Ajigasawa
  • Tsuruta
  • Nakadomari

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Tsugaru has decreased steadily over the past 40 years.

Census Year	Population
1970	50,785
1980	46,869
1990	43,699
2000	41,320
2010	37,243

History

A "Lord Tsugaru" has been mentioned in folklore along with Harada Kurando involving fencing and a tale of a "white serpent God." The area of Tsugaru was part of the holdings of the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki Domain in the Edo period. After the Meiji restoration, the area was organised into Nishitsugaru District, Aomori.

The modern city of Tsugaru was established on February 11, 2005, from the merger of the town of Kizukuri, and the villages of Inagaki, Kashiwa, Morita and Shariki (all from Nishitsugaru District).

Government

Tsugaru has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members.

Economy

The economy of Tsugaru is heavily dependent on agriculture and commercial fishing. The city serves as a minor regional commercial center. Agricultural produce includes rice, apples, melons, watermelons, and Brasenia.

Education

Tsugaru has ten public elementary schools and five public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education. The prefectural also operates one special education school.

Transportation

Railway

• East Japan Railway Company - Gonō Line
  • Kizukuri- Nakata- Mutsu-Morita - Koshimizu

Highway

• Tsugaru Expressway
• National Route 101

Local Attractions

• Takayama Inari Shrine
• Kameoka Palaeolithic Site, a National Historic Site
• Tagoyano Shell Mound. a National Historic Site

Sister city relations

• – Bath, Maine, United States – from 2006
• – Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan – from 1994
• – Shiraoi, Hokkaido, Japan – from 2005

Noted people from Tsugaru

• Shunkichi Takeuchi – politician, former Aomori governor
• Gento Uehara - songwriter
• Kenroku Uehara – songwriter
• Leo Matsumoto – actress
• Ryuhei Aoyama– actor

The town has produced many top sumo wrestlers over the years. Among them are:

• Wakanohana Kanji I - yokozuna
• Takanosato Toshihide - yokozuna
• Asahifuji Seiya – yokozuna
• Wakanosato Shinobu - sekiwake

External links

• Official website Template:Jp icon