Shiroishi, Miyagi

Geography

Shiroishi is in southern Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, bordered by Fukushima Prefecture to the south. The southern peak of Mount Zaō is within the city borders.

Neighboring municipalities

Fukushima Prefecture

• Date
• Fukushima
• Koori
• Kunimi Miyagi Prefecture
• Kakuda
• Marumori
• Ōgawara
• Shichikashuku
• Zaō

Climate

Shiroishi has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Shiroishi is 12.1 C. The average annual rainfall is 1327.2 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.7 C, and lowest in January, at around 1.2 C. |Jan record high C = 16.3 |Feb record high C = 20.6 |Mar record high C = 23.7 |Apr record high C = 30.1 |May record high C = 33.0 |Jun record high C = 34.6 |Jul record high C = 36.9 |Aug record high C = 36.7 |Sep record high C = 35.2 |Oct record high C = 31.4 |Nov record high C = 24.5 |Dec record high C = 19.5 |Jan record low C = -11.2 |Feb record low C = -11.6 |Mar record low C = -8.0 |Apr record low C = -5.0 |May record low C = 1.7 |Jun record low C = 6.3 |Jul record low C = 10.4 |Aug record low C = 11.2 |Sep record low C = 6.0 |Oct record low C = -0.8 |Nov record low C = -5.2 |Dec record low C = -11.6 |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | access-date = March 23, 2022}}{{cite web |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = March 23, 2022}}}}

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shiroishi peaked around the year 1990 and has declined since.

| 1920 | 31,285 | 1930 | 34,051 | 1940 | 34,796 | 1950 | 44,871 | 1960 | 43,911 | 1970 | 40,886 | 1980 | 41,725 | 1990 | 42,262 | 2000 | 40,793 | 2010 | 37,422 | 2020 | 32,758

History

The area of present-day Shiroishi was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was under control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate. During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, Shiroishi Castle was the site of a battle between the pro-imperial and pro-Tokugawa forces of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei. After the end of the Boshin War, the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain was briefly relocated to a reduced domain centered on Shiroishi by the Meiji government.

The town of Shiroishi was established on June 1, 1889 with the establishment of the post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. The villages of Odaira, Otakasawa, Kosugo, Saikawa, Shirakawa and Fukuoka merged with Shiroishi on April 1, 1954, which was then raised to city status. The village of Obara was annexed to Shiroishi on March 31, 1957.

Government

Shiroishi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members. Shiroishi, collectively with the towns of Zaō and Shichikashuku, contributes two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Miyagi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Shiroishi has a mixed economy, dominated by light manufacturing of electronics, automotive components and food processing. Agriculture is dominated by rice cultivation on the flatlands and horticulture in more hilly areas.

Education

Shiroishi has nine public elementary schools and five public junior high schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates two special education schools.

Transportation

Railway

Highways

• • Shiroishi IC

Local attractions

• Miyagi Zao Fox Village: Filled with real wild foxes
• Shiroishi Castle: restored in 1995 after its destruction in 1875. The castle has also become a tourist spot for "contents tourism" related to the video game Sengoku BASARA2.

Sister cities

• Japan Ebina, Kanagawa, Japan
• Japan Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, Japan

Former

• Australia Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia. The sister city relationship has been discontinued following the council amalgamations of Hurstville and Kogarah to form the merged Georges River Council.

Noted people from Shiroishi

• Tetsuya Endo, Japanese professional wrestler
• Ōzutsu Man'emon – sumo wrestler

References

References

1. [https://www.city.shiroishi.miyagi.jp/soshiki/20/13821.html Shiroish city official statistics] {{in lang. ja
2. [https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-miyagi.php Shiroishi population statistics]
3. [http://www.city.shiroishi.miyagi.jp/section/english/aboutshiroishi/historyofshiroishi.html Shiroishi home page]
4. [http://www.city.shiroishi.miyagi.jp/site/gikai/504.html Shioishi City Council home page]{{in lang. ja
5. "Zao Fox Village - Miyagi - Japan Travel".
6. "Cultural attractions－ shiroishi".
7. Yamamura, Takayoshi. (2018). "Pop culture contents and historical heritage: case of heritage revitalization through 'contents tourism' in Shiroishi city". Contemporary Japan.
8. "Sister cities− shiroishi".
9. "Sister cities− shiroishi".
10. "International Exchange". Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR).