Kawauchi, Fukushima

Kawauchi
川内村
Village

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Seal

Location of Kawauchi in Fukushima Prefecture
Kawauchi

 

Coordinates: 37°20′15″N 140°48′34″E / 37.33750°N 140.80944°E / 37.33750; 140.80944Coordinates: 37°20′15″N 140°48′34″E / 37.33750°N 140.80944°E / 37.33750; 140.80944
Country Japan
Region Tōhoku
Prefecture Fukushima
District Futaba
Area
  Total 197.38 km2 (76.21 sq mi)
Population (December 2014)
  Total 2,552
  Density 12.9/km2 (33/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree Abies firma
- Flower Enkianthus campanulatus
- Bird Japanese bush-warbler
Phone number 0240-38-2111
Address Kamikawauchi, Kawauchi-mura, Futaba-gun, Fukushima-ken 979-1292
Website Official website

Kawauchi (川内村 Kawauchi-mura) is a village located in Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of December 2014, the village had an official registered population of 2,552 and a population density of 12.9 persons per km², although the current actual resident population is much lower. The total area was 197.38 square kilometres (76.21 sq mi).[1]

Geography

Kawauchi is located in the Abukuma Plateau of central Fukushima with a mean altitude of between 400 and 500 meters. North of Kawauchi, there is at 37°22′53″N 140°48′16″E / 37.38139°N 140.80444°E / 37.38139; 140.80444 (Kawauchi Substation) a substation of Kita–Iwaki powerline, a 500 kV-line already designed for future 1100 kV operation.

Surrounding municipalities

History

The area of present-day Kawauchi was part of Mutsu Province. After the Meiji restoration, on April 1, 1889, the village of Kawauchi was created within Futaba District, Fukushima.

2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

Kawauchi suffered moderate damage from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. However, the eastern portion of the village is located within the nominal 20-kilometer exclusion zone of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and as a result of wind patterns following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the entire population of the village was evacuated by government order by May 2011. A portion of the village was re-opened in March 2012. [2][3]

In August 2014, the government divided the remaining portion of the village into two zones, and projected a lifting of the evacuation order for 275 residents in one of the zones in October.[4]

Economy

The economy of Kawauchi was formerly heavily dependent on agriculture.

Education

Kawauchi had two high schools (one public, one private), one jr. high school, one elementary school, and a kindergarten in March 2011. After the evacuation and re-opening of the town both high schools were closed. The jr. high school, elementary school, and kindergarten remain open.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kawauchi, Fukushima.
  1. "Home Page" (in Japanese). Katsurao Village. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  2. "Japan reopens parts of Fukushima evacuation zone", The Guardian, March 30, 2012.
  3. NHK-World (16 April 2012) Govt. lifts evacuation order for Minamisoma City
  4. Myoraku, Asao "Second group of Fukushima residents given OK to return home in evacuation zone", The Asahi Shimbun, August 18, 2014.
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