Taiwa, Miyagi

Taiwa 大和町
Town
Nanatsu Mori Forest, Omatsuzawa, Sasakurayama, Miyatoko Dam, Minamikawa Dam
Flag Seal
Location of Taiwa in Miyagi Prefecture
Taiwa
Coordinates: 38°26′14.4″N 140°53′10.9″E / 38.437333°N 140.886361°E / 38.437333; 140.886361Coordinates: 38°26′14.4″N 140°53′10.9″E / 38.437333°N 140.886361°E / 38.437333; 140.886361
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Miyagi
District	Kurokawa
Area
• Total	225.49 km2 (87.06 sq mi)
Population (May 31, 2017)
• Total	28,726
• Density	127/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Maple
- Flower	Azalea
Phone number	022-345-1111
Address	1-1 Yoshioka Nishi-Enoki, Taiwa-chō, Kurokawa-gun, Miyagi-ken 981-3680
Website	Official website

Taiwa Town Hall

Taiwa (大和町, Taiwa-chō) is a town located in Kurokawa District, Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. As of 31 May 2017, the town had an estimated population of 28,716 and a population density of 127 persons per km² in 11,589 households.^[1] The total area of the town was 225.49 square kilometres (87.06 sq mi).

Geography

Taiwa is located in central Miyagi Prefecture, bordered to the south by the metropolis of Sendai. Much of the area of the town is forested. The town has a climate characterized by cool summers and long cold winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Taiwa is 11.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1292 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.3 °C.^[2]

Neighboring municipalities

• Miyagi Prefecture
  • Sendai
  • Tomiya
  • Ōsaki
  • Ōsato
  • Shikama
  • Rifu

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Taiwa has expanded rapidly over the past 20 years.

History

The area of present-day Taiwa was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period by the Emishi people. Numerous kofun were built in the area during the Kofun period. During later portion of the Heian period, the area was ruled by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested by various samurai clans before the area came under the control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate. Yoshioka-juku developed as a major post station on the Ōshū Kaidō during this time.

The modern town of Taiwa was created on April 20, 1955, as a result of a merger between the town of Yoshioka, and the villages of Miyatoko, Yoshida, Tsurusu, and Ochiai, all within Kurokawa District.

Economy

Taiwa contains a number of industrial parks, and has a strong manufacturing base.

Education

• Miyagi University
• Taiwa has six public elementary schools and two public high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Taiwa is not currently served by any passenger railway lines.

Highway

• Tōhoku Expressway - Taiwa IC
• National Route 4
• National Route 47
• National Route 457

Local attractions

• Miyatoko Dam
• Minamikawa Dam
• Yoshioka Hachiman Jinja
• Nanatsumori

References

External links

Media related to Taiwa, Miyagi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (in Japanese)