Ten-ei, Fukushima

Geography

Ten-ei is located in south-central Fukushima prefecture. The village spans the Pacific side of the Abukuma River watershed and the Sea of Japan side of the Agano River watershed across the Ou Mountains. Hatori Dam is located in the village, which supplies agricultural water to the Shirakawa area of the Abukuma River basin and golf courses, campgrounds, skiing around the reservoir. There are many of traditional hot springs in the village.

• Mountains: Futamatayama (1544 m)
• Rivers: Shakado River, Tsurunuma River

Neighboring municipalities

• Fukushima Prefecture
  • Aizuwakamatsu
  • Kagamiishi
  • Kōriyama
  • Nishigō
  • Shirakawa
  • Shimogō
  • Sukagawa
  • Yabuki

Climate

Ten-ei has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Ten-ei is 10.8 C. The average annual rainfall is 1328 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.8 C, and lowest in January, at around -1.1 C. |Jan record high C = 12.3 |Feb record high C = 14.7 |Mar record high C = 20.7 |Apr record high C = 27.2 |May record high C = 30.6 |Jun record high C = 30.3 |Jul record high C = 32.9 |Aug record high C = 34.4 |Sep record high C = 31.1 |Oct record high C = 26.3 |Nov record high C = 21.8 |Dec record high C = 18.6 |Jan record low C = -18.7 |Feb record low C = -18.3 |Mar record low C = -17.0 |Apr record low C = -7.8 |May record low C = -2.8 |Jun record low C = 0.4 |Jul record low C = 6.2 |Aug record low C = 8.4 |Sep record low C = -0.3 |Oct record low C = -4.7 |Nov record low C = -9.2 |Dec record low C = -15.9 |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | access-date = March 21, 2022}}{{cite web |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = March 21, 2022}}}}

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Ten-ei has declined over the past 70 years.

| 1950 | 10,590 | 1960 | 9,165 | 1970 | 7,324 | 1980 | 6,820 | 1990 | 6,964 | 2000 | 6,889 | 2010 | 6,291 | 2020 | 5,194

History

The area of present-day Ten-ei was part of ancient Mutsu Province and formed part of the holdings of Shirakawa Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, it was organized as part of Iwase District in the Nakadōri region of Iwashiro Province. The villages of Makimoto, Yumoto, Oya and Hiroto were established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system. The village of Ten-ei was formed on March 31, 1955, with the merger of the villages of Makimoto, Yumoto, and a portion of Hiroto with the village of Osato.

Its population was above 10,000 in the 1950s, and this was the highest its population ever was.

Many of the houses in the village suffered severe damage from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, after which Ten-ei has experienced accelerated population decline. Additional population losses before and after the earthquake were due to the community being far from key sites.

Economy

In the 1950s the economy of Ten’ei was primarily made up of factories and agricultural operations. Ten-ei circa 2023 is majority agricultural, with Yacón a noteworthy crop.

Education

Ten-ei has four public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the village government. The village does not have a high school.

Junior high schools:

• Ten-ei Junior High School (天栄村立天栄中学校)
• Yumoto Junior High School (天栄村立湯本中学校; closed in 2023) - The building was two stories tall. It began operations in 1947. Its peak population was in the 1960s. A sharp population decline occurred after 2000. Circa 2020 the population was five. The population loss resulted in it closing in 2023, with its final graduating class having two students.

Elementary schools:

• Hiroto Elementary School (天栄村立広戸小学校)
• Makimoto Elementary School (天栄村立牧本小学校)
• Osato Elementary School (天栄村立大里小学校)
• Yumoto Elementary School (天栄村立湯本小学校)

Kindergartens:

• Ten-ei Kindergarten (天栄幼稚園)

File:20120608湯本中学校.JPG|Yumoto Junior High School (closed 2023)

Transportation

Railway

• Ten-ei does not have any passenger railway service.

Highway

Local attractions

• Futamata Hot Spring
• Hatori Dam
• Hatoriko Hot Spring and ski resort
• Ten’ei Hot Spring
• Yumoto Hot Spring

References

References

1. [http://www.vill.tenei.fukushima.jp Ten-ei official statistics]{{in lang. ja
2. [https://en.climate-data.org/location/472537/ Ten-ei climate data]
3. [https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-fukushima.php Ten-ei population statistics]
4. "Home". Ten-ei Education Network.
5. "Last students graduate: School closures spread in ageing Japan". Reuters.
6. Mesmer, Philippe. (2023-04-13). "In rural Japan, schools are closing due to population decline". [[Le Monde]].