Yaotsu, Gifu

Yaotsu 八百津町
Town
Yaotsu Town Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Yaotsu in Gifu Prefecture
Yaotsu
Coordinates: 35°28′33.7″N 137°8′29.6″E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Gifu
District	Kamo
Government
• Mayor	Masanori Kaneko
Area
• Total	128.79 km2 (49.73 sq mi)
Population  (December 1, 2017)
• Total	11,282
• Density	88/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
- Tree	Pine
- Flower	Lilium japonica
Phone number	0574-43-2111
Address	Yaotsu 3903-2, Yaotsu-chō, Kamo-gun, Gifu-ken 505-0392
Website	Official website

JIndogaoka Monument

Yaotsu (八百津町, Yaotsu-chō) is a town located in Kamo District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 December 2017, the town had an estimated population of 11,282 and a population density of 88 persons per km², in 4328 households. The total area of the town was 128.79 square kilometres (49.73 sq mi).

Geography

Yaotsu is located in south-central Gifu Prefecture, bordered by the Hida River to the north and the Kiso River to the south. Approximately 80% of the town area is forested. The town has a climate characterized by characterized by hot and humid summers, and mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Yaotsu is 15.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2019 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.1 °C.

Neighbouring municipalities

• Gifu Prefecture
  • Ena
  • Minokamo
  • Kani
  • Mizunami
  • Kawabe
  • Hichisō
  • Shirakawa
  • Mitake

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yaotsu has increased slightly over the past 40 years.

Census Year	Population
1970	16,396
1980	15,451
1990	14,731
2000	13,632
2010	12,045

History

The area around Yaotsu was part of traditional Mino Province. During the Edo period, the area was was part of the territory controlled by Owari Domain under by the Tokugawa shogunate. With the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, Kamo District within Gifu Prefecture was created, and the town of Yaotsu was established on July 1, 1897 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Yaotsu annexed the neighbouring village of Chiwa in 1955 and villages of Kutami, Shionami and Fukuchi in 1956. A referendum to merge into the city of Minokamo, was defeated in 2004.

Education

Yaotsu has five public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Gifu Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

• Yaotsu does not have any passenger railway service.

Highway

• Japan National Route 418

Local attractions

• Yaotsu Old Power Plant Museum
• Futamata Tunnel (aka "Korea tunnel"(朝鮮トンネル)), claimed to be a haunted location as its was constructed during World War II by Korean forced labor, some of whom died in the construction and whose bodies were allegedly buried in the walls
• Jindogaoka Park, commemorating Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara. Yaotsu formerly claimed it was the birthplace of Chiune Sugihara based on two handwritten notes, and applied for registration as a "Memory of the World" to UNESCO; however, it was later determined that these notes were false and a family register proved that Sugihara was actually born in Mujiri-gun Kurichi-cho (present Mino City)

Ya-o-chi

Ya-o-chi (やおっち) is a mascot created by the Yaotsu-cho village, Japan.

External links

• Media related to Yaotsu, Gifu at Wikimedia Commons
• Yaotsu official website Template:Ja icon some content in English
• International Club