Kōriyama, Fukushima
Geography and climate
Kōriyama is located in the center of the Nakadōri region of Fukushima Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The Adatara Mountains are to the north, Lake Inawashiro is to the west, and the Abukuma Highlands are to the east. The Abukuma River flows through downtown Kōriyama. The downtown area extends to the west of Kōriyama Station.
Neighboring municipalities
Climate
Kōriyama has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by hot wet summers and cool, quite dry winters. The average annual temperature in Kōriyama is 11.9 °C (53.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,216 millimeters (47.9 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.0 °C (77.0 °F), and lowest in January, at around 0.1 °C (32.2 °F).
| Climate data for Kōriyama, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1976–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
23.1 (73.6) |
29.5 (85.1) |
34.2 (93.6) |
34.8 (94.6) |
36.0 (96.8) |
36.6 (97.9) |
34.1 (93.4) |
30.1 (86.2) |
23.8 (74.8) |
18.7 (65.7) |
36.2 (97.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) |
5.5 (41.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
16.1 (61.0) |
21.6 (70.9) |
24.8 (76.6) |
28.0 (82.4) |
29.4 (84.9) |
25.2 (77.4) |
19.4 (66.9) |
13.5 (56.3) |
7.5 (45.5) |
17.1 (62.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) |
1.4 (34.5) |
4.6 (40.3) |
10.5 (50.9) |
16.2 (61.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
23.5 (74.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
20.4 (68.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
8.6 (47.5) |
3.4 (38.1) |
12.4 (54.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
0.1 (32.2) |
5.0 (41.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
15.9 (60.6) |
19.9 (67.8) |
20.7 (69.3) |
16.5 (61.7) |
10.1 (50.2) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
8.2 (46.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.0 (10.4) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
1.5 (34.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
8.8 (47.8) |
12.0 (53.6) |
5.4 (41.7) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 40.9 (1.61) |
27.6 (1.09) |
66.1 (2.60) |
75.4 (2.97) |
92.2 (3.63) |
120.6 (4.75) |
191.2 (7.53) |
144.4 (5.69) |
162.7 (6.41) |
126.5 (4.98) |
57.8 (2.28) |
38.1 (1.50) |
1,143.5 (45.04) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.3 | 5.7 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.7 | 11.4 | 14.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 8.9 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 111.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 128.8 | 140.0 | 170.9 | 181.6 | 195.7 | 148.9 | 138.2 | 164.3 | 125.9 | 133.0 | 129.2 | 124.6 | 1,781.1 |
| Source 1: JMA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: JMA | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kōriyama has increased over the past 60 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 213,771 | — |
| 1970 | 241,726 | +13.1% |
| 1980 | 286,451 | +18.5% |
| 1990 | 314,642 | +9.8% |
| 2000 | 334,824 | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 338,712 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 327,692 | −3.3% |
History
Kōriyama originated as a regional governmental center in the Nara period, when the area was on the frontier of Yamato settlement of the Tōhoku region. The surrounding area developed into shōen controlled by various samurai clans in the Heian and Kamakura periods. Nearby centers, such as Nihonmatsu developed into castle towns under Hatakeyama clan and which were later controlled by the Date clan, Kōriyama remained as a commercial center and thrived as a post town because of its importance as a traffic focal point into the Edo period and was part of the territory of Nihonmatsu Domain.
With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Kōriyama was established within Asaka District. In the early Meiji period, many dispossessed samurai were assigned undeveloped lands in the area to reclaim and as a result, the population grew and region developed into an agricultural center. The relative abundance of hydroelectric power also helped with the development of local industry.
Kōriyama was raised from town to city status on September 1, 1924 with the annexation of neighboring Odawara Village. Kuwano Village was likewise annexed on June 1, 1925. During the 1930s, Kōriyama was noted a center for military equipment production. It was thus a target for American bombers during World War II, and the city was subject to three large-scale air raids during the war.
From 1954 to 1955, Kōriyama expanded by annexing the town of Otsuki and portions of the villages of Tomita and Iwae, and in 1965 annexed the villages of Nishida and Nakata. In 1997, the city received core city designation, giving it increased autonomy from national and prefectural governments.
On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake caused damage, but Kōriyama is located outside of the mandatory evacuation zone set by the Japanese government after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Many people from the evacuation zone relocated to Kōriyama. On 30 July 2020, a shabu-shabu restaurant exploded, damaging an area spanning several hundred meters.
Government
Kōriyama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 38 members. The city contributes nine members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, Kōriyama is part of the Fukushima 2nd Electoral District, which includes neighbouring Nihonmatsu, Motomiya and Adachi District.
Mayors
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Sources:
Economy
Kōriyama city is called the "commercial capital in Fukushima" and the economic bloc is the biggest in Fukushima Prefecture.
- Principal companies headquartered in Koriyama
- XEBIO; sporting goods
- Kourakuen; ramen noodle shop chain
- York Benimaru; large supermarket retailer with networks in south Tōhoku, Nigata, and North Kanto
- Banks headquartered in Koriyama
Transportation
Kōriyama is an important transportation hub, as it is located in the center of Fukushima Prefecture and is the nexus of several railway lines and expressways. Kōriyama Station is the central station for the city. However, Kōriyama does not have an airport.
Railway
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- Asaka-Nagamori - Kōriyama - Hiwada
- Kōriyama - Mōgi
- Kōriyama - Kōriyamatomita - Kikuta - Akogashima] - Bandai-Atami - Nakayamajuku
- Kōriyama - Asaka-Nagamori - Yatagawa - Iwaki-Moriyama
Highway
Tōhoku Expressway - Asaka PA - Kōriyama-minami IC - Kōriyama IC - Kōriyama JCT
Ban-etsu Expressway - Kōriyama-higashi IC - Kōriyama JCT - Gohyakugawa PA - Bandai-Atami IC
National Route 4
National Route 49
National Route 288
National Route 294
Media
Television
- Fukushima Central Television (Nippon Television chain)
- Fukushima Broadcasting (TV Asahi chain)
CATY
- Information Network Kōriyama
Radio
- FM Fukushima (JFN)
Newspaper
- Fukushima Mimpō (Fukushima, Mainichi chain)
- Fukushima Minyū (Fukushima, Yomiuri chain)
- Kahoku Shinpō (Sendai)
Education
Universities and colleges
- Kōriyama Women's University Junior College
- Kōriyama Women's University & Colleges
- Nihon University, Faculty of Engineering
- Ohu University
- Open University of Japan, Fukushima Learning Center
Senior high schools
Kōriyama has ten public high schools operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education and six private high schools
- Public (prefectural)
- Asaka High School
- Asaka Mitate Branch High School
- Asaka Reimei High School
- Kōriyama High School
- Kōriyama Higashi High School
- Kōriyama Shōgyō High School
- Kōriyama Kita Kōgyō High School
- Asaka Kaisei High School
- Konan High School
- Kōriyama Hōsei High School
- Private
- Tohoku High School of Nihon University
- Shōshi Gakuen Shōshi High School
- Teikyō Asaka High School
- High School affiliated with Kōriyama Women's Colleges
Junior high schools
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Multi-level schools
- Fukushima Korean School (Japanese: 福島朝鮮初中級学校; Korean: 후쿠시마 조선 초중급학교) - North Korean international school
Notable people from Koriyama
- GReeeeN, band
- Hidekaz Himaruya, creator Hetalia
- Takeshi Honda, Figure skater
- Toru Iwaya, Mezzotint engraver, painter
- Miki Nagasawa, voice actress
- Eimi Naruse (成瀬 瑛美), Japanese idol and voice actress
- Takumi Nemoto, Politician (Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare)
- Toshiyuki Nishida, actor
- Saga (Alice Nine), musician
- Masashi Ohuchi, Olympic weightlifter
- Toshio Tamogami, chief of staff of Japan Air Self-Defense Force
- Joji Yuasa, composer
Sister cities
Japanese sister cities
Nara, Nara, since 5 August 1971- Kurume, Fukuoka, since 3 August 1975
- Tottori, Tottori, since 25 November 2005
International relations
Brummen, Netherlands, since 25 June 1988
Local attractions
Festivals
- Kōriyama Uneme Festival
- Koriyama Summer Festival - an Oktoberfest-style festival.
- Koriyama Autumn Festival - includes children's activities, taiko and mikoshi parades.
National Historic Sites
Pop culture
Both Engaged to the Unidentified (未確認で進行形 - Mikakunin de Shinkoukei) and Kimi to Pico-Pico (きみとピコピコ) manga take place in the city. Fans have created maps in order to make related pilgrimages to their favorite locations.
References
- ^ "A page for Koriyama city foreigners [City Hall & Branch Offices]". Koriyama City. Archived from the original on 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
- ^ "Estimated population April 1, 2018" (in Japanese). Official Koriyama city website. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ Kōriyama climate data
- ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Kōriyama population statistics
- ^ "福島 郡山 飲食店の建物で爆発 現場監督の男性死亡 18人けが" [Kōriyama, Fukushima explosion at a restaurant building killed one man and injured 18] (in Japanese). NHK. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- ^ 歴代の郡山市長の一覧 [List of previous mayors of Kōriyama] (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ Home. Fukushima Korean School. August 5, 2002. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
- ^ "Masashi Ohuchi Passes On". International Weightlifting Federation. 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
- ^ [1] Anime News Network
- ^ Anime map of "Kimi to Pico Pico"
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
- Koriyama City Guide 2017 (Japanese/English)
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