Hirono, Iwate

Hirono
洋野町
Town

Hirono Town Hall

Flag
Seal

Location of Hirono in Iwate Prefecture
Hirono

 

Coordinates: 40°24′30.7″N 141°43′7.3″E / 40.408528°N 141.718694°E / 40.408528; 141.718694Coordinates: 40°24′30.7″N 141°43′7.3″E / 40.408528°N 141.718694°E / 40.408528; 141.718694
Country Japan
Region Tōhoku
Prefecture Iwate
District Kunohe
Area
 • Total 302.92 km2 (116.96 sq mi)
Population (February 28, 2017)
 • Total 17,462
 • Density 57.6/km2 (149/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols  
- Tree Japanese red pine
- Flower Rhododendron
- Bird Common gull
Phone number 0194-65-2111
Address Taneichi dai-23 jiwari 27, Hirono-machi, Kunohe-gun, Iwate 028-7995
Website http://www.town.hirono.iwate.jp/

Hirono (洋野町, Hirono-chō) is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 28 February 2017, the town had an estimated population of 17,462, and a population density of 57.6 persons per km2 in 6,858 households.[1] The total area of the town is 302.92 square kilometres (116.96 sq mi).

Geography

Hirono is located in far northeastern Iwate Prefecture, bordered by Aomori Prefecture to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the east.

Neighboring municipalities

Aomori Prefecture

Iwate Prefecture

Climate

Hirono has a humid oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Hirono is 9.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1168 mm with September as the wettest month and February as the driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.1 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Hirono has declined over the past 40 years.

Census Year Population
1970 24,278
1980 24,403
1990 22,802
2000 20,465
2010 17,910

History

The area of present-day Hirono was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and was dominated by the Nambu clan from the Muromachi period. During the Edo period, the area was part of Hachinohe Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. In the early Meiji period, the villages of Taneichi, Nakano and Ōno within Kita-Kunohe District were created on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Kita-Kunohe District and Minami-Kunohe Districts merged to form Kunohe District on April 1, 1897. Taneichi was raised to town status on April 1, 1951, annexing the village of Nakano on February 11, 1955. Taneichi merged with Ōno on January 1, 2006 and was renamed Hirono. The new name, combining characters for "ocean" (洋) and "fields" (野), reflected the combination of coastal Taneichi with inland Ōno. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami severely damaged local fishing ports and destroyed some houses in coastal areas, but the center of the town was protected by a 12 metres (39 ft) embankment, and the town suffered no casualties in the disaster.

Economy

Hirono is within the economic sphere of nearby Hachinohe, Aomori. The local economy is based on commercial fishing and to a lesser extent on agriculture (shiitake, spinach and rice).

Education

Hirono has eight public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the town government, and two public high schools operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

Local attractions

Local Specialties

Taneichi takes pride in its sea urchins. It is common in restaurants and has its own yearly festival in July, the Taneichi Sea Urchin Festival. Some of the sea urchins are harvested by means of Nanbu diving (南部もぐり), which is taught in a special program at Taneichi Senior High School. Sea pineapples (class Ascidiacea) are also harvested in Taneichi. Ōno takes pride in its various dairy products.

Notable people from Hirono

References

  1. ↑ Hiroto town official home page
  2. ↑ Hirono climate data
  3. ↑ Hirono population statistics

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