Aishō, Shiga

Aishō
愛荘町
Aishō town hall
Aishō town hall
Flag of Aishō
Official seal of Aishō
Location of Aishō in Shiga Prefecture
Location of Aishō in Shiga Prefecture
Aishō is located in Japan
Aishō
Aishō
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°10′N 136°13′E / 35.167°N 136.217°E / 35.167; 136.217
CountryJapan
RegionKansai
PrefectureShiga Prefecture
DistrictEchi
Government
 • MayorToshio Muranishi
Area
 • Total37.97 km2 (14.66 sq mi)
Population
 (August 1, 2021)
 • Total21,411
 • Density560/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address72, Echigawa, Aishō-chō, Echi-gun, Shiga-ken 529-1380
Phone number0749-42-4111
Websitewww.town.aisho.shiga.jp
Symbols
FlowerCherry blossom
TreeAcer palmatum
Kongōrin-ji Hondō, a National Treasure

Aishō (愛荘町, Aishō-chō) is a town located in Echi District in eastern Shiga Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2021, the town had an estimated population of 21,411 in 8310 households and a population density of 940 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the town is 37.97 square kilometres (14.66 sq mi).

Geography

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Aishō is located in east-central Shiga Prefecture in the flatlands of the Ōmi Basin.

Surrounding municipalities

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Shiga Prefecture

Climate

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Aishō has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Aishō is 12.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1810 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.3 °C.[2]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Aishō has grown slightly over the past 50 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 15,444—    
1930 15,237−1.3%
1940 14,501−4.8%
1950 18,649+28.6%
1960 16,685−10.5%
1970 16,526−1.0%
1980 17,034+3.1%
1990 17,036+0.0%
2000 18,992+11.5%
2010 20,118+5.9%
2020 20,893+3.9%

History

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The area of Aishō was part of ancient Ōmi Province. During the Edo period, Echigawa-juku was the 65th post station on the Nakasendō highway connecting Kyoto with eastern Japan. The village of Echigawa was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on October 1, 1909 and merged with the neighboring village of Toyokuni in 1955. The town of Aishō was founded on February 13, 2006, when the towns of Echigawa and Hatashō merged. The name "Aishō" combines the first character in "Echigawa" (知川) and the second character in "Hatashō" ().

Government

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Aishō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 14 members. Aishō contributes one member to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Shiga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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Agriculture has dominated the local economy since ancient times. Manufacturing includes a number of small to medium-sized food processing and metals processing factories.

Education

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Aishō has four public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Shiga Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

International schools

Transportation

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Railway

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Ohmi RailwayMain Line

Highway

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Sister cities

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Local attractions

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Noted people from Aishō

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References

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  1. ^ "Aishō town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Aishō climate data
  3. ^ Aishō population statistics
  4. ^ "Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão" (Archive). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
  5. ^ "Interactive City Directory". Sister Cities International. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
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