Isesaki, Gunma
Geography
Isesaki is located in the northwestern part of the Kantō Plain of southern Gunma Prefecture. It is adjacent to Saitama Prefecture across the Tone River, which runs through the southern part of the city. The distance to the center of the city is about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Maebashi City, the prefectural capital of Gunma, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Takasaki, and about 95 kilometres (59 mi) from central Tokyo.
Surrounding municipalities
Climate
Isesaki has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Isesaki is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1256 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 3.3 °C. On June 26, 2022, the temperature in the city reached 40.2 °C, the highest ever recorded in Japan for the month of June.
| Climate data for Isesaki (1998−2020 normals, extremes 1998−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.6 (65.5) |
23.8 (74.8) |
26.3 (79.3) |
31.5 (88.7) |
36.0 (96.8) |
40.2 (104.4) |
39.2 (102.6) |
40.5 (104.9) |
39.0 (102.2) |
33.5 (92.3) |
27.9 (82.2) |
25.4 (77.7) |
40.5 (104.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
14.0 (57.2) |
19.6 (67.3) |
24.9 (76.8) |
27.6 (81.7) |
31.2 (88.2) |
32.5 (90.5) |
28.2 (82.8) |
22.3 (72.1) |
16.8 (62.2) |
11.8 (53.2) |
20.7 (69.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) |
4.9 (40.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
13.7 (56.7) |
19.1 (66.4) |
22.6 (72.7) |
26.3 (79.3) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.5 (74.3) |
17.6 (63.7) |
11.6 (52.9) |
6.3 (43.3) |
15.5 (59.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.6 (30.9) |
0.0 (32.0) |
3.1 (37.6) |
8.2 (46.8) |
13.9 (57.0) |
18.5 (65.3) |
22.4 (72.3) |
23.5 (74.3) |
19.8 (67.6) |
13.6 (56.5) |
6.8 (44.2) |
1.5 (34.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.8 (19.8) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
5.6 (42.1) |
11.6 (52.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
9.3 (48.7) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 28.8 (1.13) |
25.3 (1.00) |
49.8 (1.96) |
73.5 (2.89) |
99.3 (3.91) |
139.9 (5.51) |
190.4 (7.50) |
169.9 (6.69) |
184.4 (7.26) |
149.7 (5.89) |
43.0 (1.69) |
27.1 (1.07) |
1,176.5 (46.32) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 2.9 | 3.6 | 6.6 | 7.8 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 14.3 | 10.8 | 11.5 | 8.8 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 96.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 217.9 | 201.0 | 211.3 | 205.8 | 201.9 | 140.7 | 149.5 | 169.5 | 138.6 | 153.4 | 177.1 | 203.3 | 2,177 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Isesaki has increased steadily over the past 60 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 130,555 | — |
| 1970 | 137,118 | +5.0% |
| 1980 | 159,069 | +16.0% |
| 1990 | 175,254 | +10.2% |
| 2000 | 194,393 | +10.9% |
| 2010 | 207,199 | +6.6% |
| 2020 | 211,850 | +2.2% |
History
Isesaki developed during the Sengoku period as a castle town surrounding Akaishi Castle, a stronghold in southern Kōzuke Province controlled by the Yura clan. During the Edo period, it was the center of Isesaki Domain, a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate controlled by the Sakai clan. The area also contained two post towns on the Nikkō Reiheishi Kaidō, a subroute to Nikkō Kaidō which connected the Nakasendō directly with Nikkō, bypassing Edo.
Isesaki Town was created within Sai District, Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. Sai District and Nawa District merged to form Sawa District in 1896. It merged with the villages of Uehasu and Moro to form the city of Isesaki on September 13, 1940. On January 10, 1955 the village of Misato was annexed by Isesaki, followed by the villages of Nawa, Toyouke and Miyagō on March 25 of the same year.
On January 1, 2005 the towns of Akabori and Sakai, and village of Azuma were incorporated into Isesaki. On April 1, 2007, Isesaki was proclaimed a special city (tokureishi) with increased autonomy.
Government
Isesaki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 29 members. Isesaki contributes five members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Gunma 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
Isesaki (along with neighboring Kiryū) was traditionally famous for sericulture since ancient times, with a cloth called "Isesaki Meisen" as one of its most famous products. This cloth has been made since the late 17th century, and became popular during the Meiji and Taishō periods. Now, however, due to the ubiquity of Western-style clothes, its popularity is decreasing.
The automotive equipment and electrical equipment manufacturing company Sanden Corporation is headquartered in Isesaki. Also the city is home to Meisei Electric, a communications and electronics equipment and electric measuring instruments manufacturing company. Large industrial parks have been built in the suburbs, making it one of the leading industrial cities in the northern Kantō region.
It is also the location of J-List, a retailer of anime goods, visual novels and related products from Japan.
Education
Universities
- Jobu University
- Tokyo University of Social Welfare – Isesaki Campus
Primary and secondary schools
Isesaki has 22 public elementary schools and 12 public middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. Then prefecture also operates three special education schools for the handicapped.
Isesaki has a Peruvian international school (ペルー学校), Colegio Hispano Americano de Gunma.
Transportation
Railway
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Tobu Railway – Tobu Isesaki Line
- Sakaimachi - Gōshi - Shin-Isesaki - Isesaki
Highway
Kita-Kantō Expressway – Isesaki Interchange, Hashie Parking Area
National Route 17
National Route 50
National Route 354
National Route 462
Local attractions
- Former home of Tajima Yohei
- Grave of Kunisada Chūji
- Goshiki Onsen
- Isesaki Jinja
- Kezouji Park (Amusement park)
Sister cities
Teradomari, Niigata, Japan, friendship city since 1986
Springfield, Missouri, United States, since 1986
Ma'anshan, Anhui, China, friendship city since 1989
Notable people
- Mitsuru Adachi, manga artist
- Tsutomu Adachi, manga artist
- Toshi Arai, rally driver
- Atsushi Imaruoka, voice actor
- Takashi Ishizeki, politician
- Mr. Pogo, professional wrestler
References
- ^ "Isesaki City official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ Isesaki climate data
- ^ "Japan records highest-ever June temperature". The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ 伊勢崎 年・月ごとの平年値. Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ 伊勢崎 観測史上1～10位の値. Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
- ^ Isesaki population statistics
- ^ Nikkō Reiheishidō Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. Mainichi Shinbun. Accessed August 29, 2007.
- ^ Old Nakasendo: Kuragano-shuku and Takasaki-shuku Archived 2007-08-22 at the Wayback Machine. City of Takasaki. Accessed August 29, 2007.
- ^ "Sanden Corporation company profile". Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
- ^ "About Meisei Electric". Retrieved March 15, 2014.
- ^ "Mapa Archived 2015-10-24 at the Wayback Machine." Centro de Desarrollo Hispano Americano. Retrieved on October 24, 2015. "Gunma Ken, Isesaki Shi, Heiwa Cho 10-13"
- ^ "Colegio News". Colegio Hispano Americano de Gunma. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- ^ "Interactive City Directory". Sister Cities International. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
External links
- Official Website (in Japanese)
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