Karumai, Iwate

Karumai 軽米町
Town
Karumai Town Hall Park in Karumai
Flag Emblem
Location of Karumai in Iwate Prefecture
Karumai Location of Karumai in Japan
Coordinates: 40°19′36.3″N 141°27′37.7″E / 40.326750°N 141.460472°E / 40.326750; 141.460472
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Iwate
District	Kunohe
Area
• Total	245.82 km2 (94.91 sq mi)
Population  (March 1, 2020)
• Total	8,895
• Density	36/km2 (94/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0195-46-2111
Address	Karumai dai-10 jiwari 85, Karumai-machi, Kunohe-gun, Iwate 028-6302
Climate	Dfa
Website	Official website
Symbols
Bird	Copper pheasant
Flower	Kobushi
Tree	Japanese Yew

Karumai (軽米町, Karumai-machi) is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 March 2020^[update], the town had an estimated population of 8,895 in 3769 households,^[1] and a population density of 36 persons per km². The total area of the town is 245.82 square kilometres (94.91 sq mi).

Karumai is located in far northcentral Iwate Prefecture, bordered by Aomori Prefecture to the north.

Aomori Prefecture

• Hachinohe
• Hashikami
• Nanbu

Iwate Prefecture

• Hirono
• Kuji
• Kunohe
• Ninohe

Karumai has a humid oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Karumai is 9.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1209 mm with September being the wettest month and February being the driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.4 °C.^[2]

Per Japanese census data,^[5] the population of Karumai peaked at around the year 1960 and has steadily declined over the past 60 years.

The area of present-day Karumai was part of ancient Mutsu Province, dominated by the Nambu clan from the Muromachi period, and part of Hachinohe Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. During the early Meiji period, the village of Karumai within Kitakunohe District, Iwate Prefecture was created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Kita-Kunohe District and Minami-Kunohe Districts merged to form Kunohe District on April 1, 1897. The village was raised to town status on January 1, 1925. The neighboring villages of Kogarumai and Hareyama were merged with Karumai on January 1, 1955.

Karumai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Karumai, as part of Kunohe District, contributes two seats to the Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Iwate 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The economy of Karumai is based on agriculture, particularly the various grains, including millet, livestock raising, and the production of charcoal. The hardy kiwi is a noted local specialty.^[6]

Karumai has three public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education.

• Karumai does not have any passenger train service.

• Hachinohe Expressway – Orizume Service Area - Karumai Interchange
• National Route 340
• National Route 395

• Haruichi Furudate, manga artist (Haikyu!!, Yotsuya Senpai no Kaidan). Much of Haikyu!! is based on actual locations in Karumai.

Media related to Karumai, Iwate at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)