Shimizu, Shizuoka
Shimizu
清水町 | |
|---|---|
 Kano River in Shimizu Town | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Shimizu Town in Shizuoka Prefecture | |
  Shimizu | |
| Coordinates: 35°5′56.4″N 138°54′10.3″E / 35.099000°N 138.902861°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Chūbu Tōkai |
| Prefecture | Shizuoka |
| District | Suntō |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.81 km2 (3.40 sq mi) |
| Population (August 2019) | |
| • Total | 32,453 |
| • Density | 3,700/km2 (9,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| City symbols | |
| • Tree | Castanopsis |
| • Flower | Chrysanthemum |
| • Bird | Common kingfisher |
| Phone number | 055-973-1111 |
| Address | 210-1 Dōniwa, Shimizu-chō, Suntō-gun, Shizuoka-ken 411-8650 |
| Website | Official website |
Shimizu (清水町, Shimizu-chō) is a town in Suntō District of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2019[update], the town had an estimated population of 32,453 in 14058 households,[1] and a population density of 3,700 persons per km2. The total area of the town was 8.81 square kilometres (3.40 sq mi).
Geography[edit]
Shimizu is located at the northern end of Izu Peninsula. Both the Kakita River and the Kano River flow through the town. The area has a temperate maritime climate with hot, humid summers and mild, cool winters.
Neighboring municipalities[edit]
Demographics[edit]
Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Shimizu has been increasing over the past 70 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 6,033 | — |
| 1950 | 8,859 | +46.8% |
| 1960 | 10,841 | +22.4% |
| 1970 | 21,036 | +94.0% |
| 1980 | 26,408 | +25.5% |
| 1990 | 27,755 | +5.1% |
| 2000 | 30,870 | +11.2% |
| 2010 | 32,304 | +4.6% |
Climate[edit]
The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Shimizu is 15.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1925 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.8 °C.[3]
History[edit]
Shimizu is located in the far eastern portion of former Suruga Province, and was largely tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system of the early Meiji period in 1889, the area was reorganized into the village of Shimizu within Suntō District, Shizuoka through the merger of 11 small hamlets.
Shimizu attained town status in 1963. There have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to merge Shimizu into neighboring Numazu (1966, 1967, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007).
Economy[edit]
The economy of Shimizu is largely based on agriculture. The town also serves as a bedroom community for the industrial zones in neighboring Numazu and Mishima.
Education[edit]
Shimizu has three public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation[edit]
Railway[edit]
Shimizu does not have any passenger railway service.
Highway[edit]
Mascot[edit]
Shimizu's mascot is Yusui-kun (ゆうすいくん). He is a elf who lives in the Kakita River. He wears a Mount Fuji-like hat and a cape with Kakita River and Mishimabaikamo flower motifs. His uniform has a pocket that can store green rice (a special kind of rice) and several books. Depending on the season, he changes his hat (white and green for spring, green for summer, white and brown for fall and white for winter) and his gloves and boots (red for spring, blue for summer, brown for fall and white for winter). His job is a park ranger. As a park ranger, he must protect the Kakita River (and nature in general) while making everyone's dreams come true. Because of his handsome looks as a park ranger, he is nicknamed the "Cute Hero" (かわいいヒーロー, Kawaī hīrō). He is unveiled on 11 May 2013.[4]
Sister cities[edit]
Miaoli City, Taiwan, since 2003 [5]
Squamish, British Columbia, Canada[6]
Notable people from Shimizu, Shizuoka[edit]
- Yuki Sato, long-distance runner
- Takehiro Ishikawa - played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
Local attractions[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Shimizu Town official statistics (in Japanese)
- ^ Shimizu population statistics
- ^ Shimizu climate data
- ^ "清水町イメージキャラクター「ゆうすいくん」のご紹介". Shimizu.
- ^ "City Exchange". Miaoli City Office. 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- ^ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
External links[edit]
- Official website (in Japanese)
Geographic data related to Shimizu, Shizuoka at OpenStreetMap
Media related to Shimizu, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons
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