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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Mooka, Tochigi
Mooka (真岡市, Mooka-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2020, the city had an estimated population of 78,720 in 30,203 households, and a population density of 476 persons per km². The total area of the city is 167.34 square kilometres (64.61 sq mi). Moka is known for the Mooka Railway, which operates steam locomotives. The train line stretches from Shimodate, Ibaraki Prefecture to Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture. The town produces 7,000 tons of strawberries annually. The name of the city is given as "Moka City" per the city's official website; however, the local train station is "Mōka Station", and the direct transliteration of the city name into Hepburn romanization is "Mooka".

Geography

Mooka is located in southeast Tochigi Prefecture. It is located approximately 100 kilometer from Tokyo metropolis and 15 kilometers from the prefectural capital of Utsunomiya

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture

Tochigi Prefecture

Climate

Mooka has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Mooka is 13.5 °C (56.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,306.2 mm (51.43 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.5 °C (77.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around 1.6 °C (34.9 °F).

Climate data for Mooka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.7
(63.9) 		22.9
(73.2) 		25.6
(78.1) 		30.2
(86.4) 		34.5
(94.1) 		37.3
(99.1) 		38.2
(100.8) 		38.6
(101.5) 		36.1
(97.0) 		33.6
(92.5) 		24.4
(75.9) 		24.2
(75.6) 		38.6
(101.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 8.5
(47.3) 		9.6
(49.3) 		13.1
(55.6) 		18.5
(65.3) 		23.0
(73.4) 		25.7
(78.3) 		29.4
(84.9) 		30.9
(87.6) 		27.0
(80.6) 		21.4
(70.5) 		15.9
(60.6) 		10.8
(51.4) 		19.5
(67.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.6
(34.9) 		2.8
(37.0) 		6.6
(43.9) 		11.9
(53.4) 		17.2
(63.0) 		20.7
(69.3) 		24.4
(75.9) 		25.5
(77.9) 		21.8
(71.2) 		15.9
(60.6) 		9.5
(49.1) 		3.9
(39.0) 		13.5
(56.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4) 		−3.6
(25.5) 		0.1
(32.2) 		5.5
(41.9) 		11.8
(53.2) 		16.6
(61.9) 		20.7
(69.3) 		21.6
(70.9) 		17.8
(64.0) 		11.1
(52.0) 		3.6
(38.5) 		−2.3
(27.9) 		8.2
(46.7)
Record low °C (°F) −13.7
(7.3) 		−12.9
(8.8) 		−9.0
(15.8) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		0.4
(32.7) 		6.9
(44.4) 		11.9
(53.4) 		12.5
(54.5) 		5.1
(41.2) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		−5.9
(21.4) 		−10.6
(12.9) 		−13.7
(7.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 34.7
(1.37) 		37.3
(1.47) 		80.4
(3.17) 		109.8
(4.32) 		134.2
(5.28) 		147.1
(5.79) 		182.9
(7.20) 		141.2
(5.56) 		184.0
(7.24) 		152.1
(5.99) 		67.1
(2.64) 		39.4
(1.55) 		1,306.2
(51.43)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 4.0 4.8 8.8 10.2 11.2 13.4 13.1 10.7 11.8 9.9 6.6 4.7 109.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 205.3 194.3 192.4 182.9 187.1 132.4 144.9 169.2 131.5 143.7 165.0 192.0 2,044
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Mooka has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 40,755—    
1930 45,338+11.2%
1940 47,533+4.8%
1950 61,184+28.7%
1960 58,213−4.9%
1970 57,035−2.0%
1980 69,967+22.7%
1990 79,228+13.2%
2000 81,530+2.9%
2010 82,279+0.9%
2020 78,190−5.0%

History

During the Edo Period, much of the area was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa Shogunate or various hatamoto. Towards the end of the Edo Period, the daimyō of Odawara, Ōkubo Tadazane attempted to develop waste land with the assistance of Ninomiya Sontoku. The town on Mooka was established within Tsuga District, Tochigi on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Mooka annexed the neighboring villages of Yamazeki, Ouchi and Naka on March 31, 1954. It was elevated to city status on October 1, 1954.

On March 23, 2009, the town of Ninomiya (from Haga District) was merged into Mooka.

Government

Mooka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city assembly of 21 members. Mooka collectively contributes two members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tochigi 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Mooka is a regional commercial center with a mixed economy. Agriculture centers primarily on rice production and fruits. Traditional industries of sake brewing and cotton weaving have largely been replaced by light manufacturing of automotive and electronic components, primarily for the nearby Nissan factory in Kaminokawa and Honda factory in Tsuga.

Education

Mooka has 14 public primary schools and nine public middle schools operated by the city government. and four high schools. The city has four public high schools operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education.

It previously hosted the Colégio Pitágoras Brasil, a Brazilian school.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

Local attractions

  • Osaki Jinja
  • Site of Nakamura Castle

International relations

Noted people

References

  1. ^ "Moka City official statistics". www.city.moka.lg.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  2. ^ "真岡みどころガイド" (PDF). 真岡市. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  3. ^ "路線図". 真岡鉄道. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  4. ^ "いちご日本一のまち もおか". 真岡市. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  5. ^ "真岡市". 真岡市. Archived from the original on 19 September 2003. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  6. ^ Station sign "Mōka"
  7. ^ "市の概要 地勢". 真岡市. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  8. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  9. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Mooka population statistics
  11. ^ www.kokudo.or.jp https://web.archive.org/web/20080418104716/http://www.kokudo.or.jp/new/cities/sub/kanto/09.htm. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ "（市勢要覧）2015 MOKA CITY DATA BANK 数字で見る真岡市勢 教育" (PDF). 真岡市. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  13. ^ "真岡市の高校一覧（4校）". 高校受験ナビ. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  14. ^ "Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão" (Archive). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. February 7, 2008. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
  15. ^ "文化財". 大前神社. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  16. ^ 真岡市教育委員会. "栃木県指定史跡 中村城跡". 鹿沼見て歩き. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  17. ^ "Glendora Public Library: Weblinks Collection – Community Information". Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  18. ^ "姉妹都市交流". 真岡市. Retrieved 25 January 2017.

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