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Oguni, Yamagata

Coordinates: 38°03′41.3″N 139°44′36.1″E / 38.061472°N 139.743361°E / 38.061472; 139.743361
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oguni
小国町
Oguni Town Hall
Oguni Town Hall
Flag of Oguni
Official seal of Oguni
Location of Oguni in Yamagata Prefecture
Location of Oguni in Yamagata Prefecture
Oguni is located in Japan
Oguni
Oguni
 
Coordinates: 38°03′41.3″N 139°44′36.1″E / 38.061472°N 139.743361°E / 38.061472; 139.743361
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureYamagata
DistrictNishiokitama
Area
 • Total737.56 km2 (284.77 sq mi)
Population
 (February 2020)
 • Total7,376
 • Density10/km2 (26/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number0238-62-2111
Address2-70 Ogunikosaka, Oguni-chō, Yamagata-ken 999-1363
ClimateCfa/Dfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdJapanese bush-warbler
FlowerSakura
TreeJapanese beech
Lake Shiroimori-oguni

Oguni (小国町, Oguni-machi) is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 29 February 2020, the town had an estimated population of 7,376 in 3020 households,[1] and a population density of 10 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 737.56 square kilometres (285 sq mi).

Geography

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Oguni is located in mountainous southwestern Yamagata Prefecture, bordered by Niigata Prefecture to the west and south.

Neighboring municipalities

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Climate

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Oguni has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Oguni is 10.9 °C (51.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 3,051.6 mm (120.14 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.8 °C (74.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around −0.3 °C (31.5 °F).[2] In the winter season, snow cover may exceed 2 meters even in the center of town due to the monsoon from the Sea of Japan.

Climate data for Oguni (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9)
17.3
(63.1)
19.9
(67.8)
30.1
(86.2)
34.2
(93.6)
33.6
(92.5)
36.2
(97.2)
38.0
(100.4)
35.6
(96.1)
30.7
(87.3)
25.2
(77.4)
18.1
(64.6)
38.0
(100.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 2.9
(37.2)
3.8
(38.8)
7.3
(45.1)
14.5
(58.1)
21.2
(70.2)
24.7
(76.5)
27.7
(81.9)
29.5
(85.1)
25.1
(77.2)
18.9
(66.0)
12.2
(54.0)
5.6
(42.1)
16.1
(61.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.3
(31.5)
−0.1
(31.8)
2.2
(36.0)
7.7
(45.9)
14.4
(57.9)
18.9
(66.0)
22.7
(72.9)
23.8
(74.8)
19.5
(67.1)
13.1
(55.6)
6.9
(44.4)
1.9
(35.4)
10.9
(51.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −3.0
(26.6)
−3.5
(25.7)
−2.1
(28.2)
1.6
(34.9)
8.2
(46.8)
14.0
(57.2)
18.8
(65.8)
19.5
(67.1)
15.5
(59.9)
9.0
(48.2)
2.9
(37.2)
−0.8
(30.6)
6.7
(44.0)
Record low °C (°F) −16.0
(3.2)
−17.9
(−0.2)
−15.0
(5.0)
−8.5
(16.7)
−1.1
(30.0)
5.1
(41.2)
8.4
(47.1)
11.2
(52.2)
6.4
(43.5)
0.4
(32.7)
−5.4
(22.3)
−11.1
(12.0)
−17.9
(−0.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 342.1
(13.47)
243.2
(9.57)
202.4
(7.97)
163.0
(6.42)
149.4
(5.88)
191.7
(7.55)
334.2
(13.16)
234.7
(9.24)
190.1
(7.48)
234.9
(9.25)
353.8
(13.93)
416.7
(16.41)
3,051.6
(120.14)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 336
(132)
257
(101)
159
(63)
23
(9.1)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
10
(3.9)
176
(69)
958
(377)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 25.6 22.5 20.8 15.0 12.9 12.3 16.0 13.2 14.2 16.1 20.4 24.3 213.3
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) 24.0 21.2 18.5 3.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 13.3 81.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 25.5 42.4 92.3 147.8 189.7 163.4 144.9 179.6 131.8 108.6 65.4 31.3 1,322.6
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Oguni peaked in the 1950s, and is now considerably less than what it was a century ago.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 10,158—    
1930 11,288+11.1%
1940 15,492+37.2%
1950 17,899+15.5%
1960 17,787−0.6%
1970 13,999−21.3%
1980 12,221−12.7%
1990 11,315−7.4%
2000 10,262−9.3%
2010 8,862−13.6%
2020 7,107−19.8%

History

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The area of present-day Oguni was part of ancient Dewa Province and was ruled as part of Yonezawa Domain during the Edo period. After the start of the Meiji period, most of the area became part of Nishiokitama District, Yamagata Prefecture. The village of Ogunimoto was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was elevated to town status on November 3, 1943, becoming the town of Oguni. It absorbed the neighboring villages of Minamioguni and Kitaoguni on March 31, 1954 and the village of Tsugawa on August 1, 1960.

Economy

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The economy of Oguni is based on agriculture and forestry, and hydroelectric power production from numerous dams.

Education

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Oguni has two public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school.

Transportation

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Railway

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East Japan Railway Company - Yonesaka Line

Highway

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References

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  1. ^ Oguni Town official statistics (in Japanese)
  2. ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  3. ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Oguni population statistics
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