Shiwa, Iwate
| Shiwa 紫波町 | |||
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| Town | |||
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Shiwa Post Office | |||
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 Location of Shiwa in Iwate Prefecture | |||
  Shiwa
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| Coordinates: 39°33′15.8″N 141°09′19.7″E / 39.554389°N 141.155472°ECoordinates: 39°33′15.8″N 141°09′19.7″E / 39.554389°N 141.155472°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Tōhoku | ||
| Prefecture | Iwate | ||
| District | Shiwa | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 238.98 km2 (92.27 sq mi) | ||
| Population (September 2015) | |||
| • Total | 32,782 | ||
| • Density | 137/km2 (350/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| Symbols | |||
| • Tree | Zelkova serrata | ||
| • Flower | Platycodon grandiflorus | ||
| • Bird | Barn swallow | ||
| Phone number | 019-672-2111 | ||
| Address | Hizume Nishiura 23-1 Shiwa-chō, Shiwa-gun, Iwate-ken 028-3390 | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Shiwa (紫波町 Shiwa-chō) is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of northern Japan. As of September 2015, the town had an estimated population of 32,782 and a population density of 137 persons per km2. The total area was 238.98 square kilometres (92.27 sq mi).
Geography
Shiwa is located in central Iwate Prefecture.
Neighboring municipalities
- Iwate Prefecture
History
The area of present-day Shiwa was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jomon period. The area was inhabited by the Emishi people, and came under the control of the Yamato dynasty during the early Heian period. During the Sengoku period, the area was dominated by various samurai clans before coming under the control of the Nambu clan during the Edo period, who ruled Morioka Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. Shiwa prospered as a post station on the Ōshū Kaidō highway connecting Edo with the northern provinces.
The town of Hizume and the villages of Furudate, Mizuwake, Shiwa, Akaishi, Hikobe, Sahinai, Akasawa, ane Nagaoka were established within Shiwa District on April 1, 1889. These municipalities were merged on April 1, 1955 to form the town of Shiwa.
Economy
The local economy of Shiwa is traditionally based on agriculture, primarily rice cultivation; however, due to its proximity to Morioka city, it is increasingly serving as a bedroom community.
Transportation
Railway
- East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Tōhoku Main Line
Highway
- Tōhoku Expressway – Shiwa IC
- Japan National Route 4
- Japan National Route 396
- Japan National Route 456
International relations
– Southern Downs, Queensland, Australia [1] 
- Portage, Michigan, United States [1]
Noted people from Shiwa
- Kodō Nomura – writer, music critic
- Toru Yoshida – professional soccer player
References
- 1 2 "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
External links
Media related to Shiwa, Iwate at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (Japanese)
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