# Kazuno, Akita

Kazuno (鹿角市, Kazuno-shi) is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. As of 28 March 2023, the city had an estimated population of 28,329 in 12,570 households, and a population density of 40 persons per km$^2$. The total area of the city is 707.52 square kilometres (273.17 square miles).

## Geography

Kazuno is located in the far northeast corner of Akita Prefecture. The urban center is located in the Hanawa Basin, which is part of the basin of the Yoneshiro River. Outside the Hanawa Basin, it is mountainous and heavily forested, with numerous rivers and waterfalls with the Ōu Mountains and Iwate Prefecture on the east. The area has many hot springs. Much of the city is within the borders of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, although the city does not border on Lake Towada self. Due to its inland location, the difference between the annual maximum temperature and the annual minimum temperature is very large and the city is noted for its heavy snowfall in winter.

### Neighboring municipalities

Akita Prefecture
* Kitaakita
* Kosaka
* Ōdate
* Semboku
Aomori Prefecture
* Sannohe
* Shingō
* Takko
* Towada
Iwate Prefecture
* Hachimantai

### Climate

Kazuno has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters with heavy snowfalls. The average annual temperature in Kazuno is 9.5 °C (49.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,454.1 mm (57.25 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.8 °C (73.0 °F), and lowest in January, at around −2.9 °C (26.8 °F).
Climate data for Kazuno, Akita (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.1 (52.0) | 15.8 (60.4) | 18.8 (65.8) | 29.5 (85.1) | 32.3 (90.1) | 33.5 (92.3) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.9 (98.4) | 34.4 (93.9) | 27.3 (81.1) | 22.4 (72.3) | 17.3 (63.1) | 37.0 (98.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) | 1.7 (35.1) | 5.8 (42.4) | 13.6 (56.5) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 26.8 (80.2) | 28.1 (82.6) | 24.0 (75.2) | 17.4 (63.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 3.0 (37.4) | 14.6 (58.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.9 (26.8) | −2.3 (27.9) | 1.0 (33.8) | 7.4 (45.3) | 13.8 (56.8) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 11.4 (52.5) | 5.0 (41.0) | −0.5 (31.1) | 9.5 (49.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.1 (19.2) | −6.9 (19.6) | −3.7 (25.3) | 1.6 (34.9) | 8.0 (46.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 17.9 (64.2) | 18.5 (65.3) | 13.6 (56.5) | 6.3 (43.3) | 0.7 (33.3) | −4.1 (24.6) | 4.9 (40.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.4 (−8.3) | −19.7 (−3.5) | −16.8 (1.8) | −9.9 (14.2) | −1.8 (28.8) | 3.2 (37.8) | 8.1 (46.6) | 8.6 (47.5) | 1.4 (34.5) | −2.9 (26.8) | −11.4 (11.5) | −16.6 (2.1) | −22.4 (−8.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 79.4 (3.13) | 68.7 (2.70) | 84.1 (3.31) | 89.2 (3.51) | 93.1 (3.67) | 108.3 (4.26) | 200.6 (7.90) | 190.4 (7.50) | 149.3 (5.88) | 138.8 (5.46) | 136.0 (5.35) | 116.3 (4.58) | 1,454.1 (57.25) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 182 (72) | 150 (59) | 100 (39) | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 13 (5.1) | 132 (52) | 579 (228) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 17.8 | 15.9 | 14.8 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 10.1 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 12.1 | 13.9 | 16.9 | 19.1 | 169.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) | 20.9 | 17.8 | 13.1 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 | 14.1 | 67.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 52.2 | 72.0 | 118.5 | 158.4 | 185.3 | 174.0 | 147.0 | 168.2 | 146.7 | 132.9 | 87.6 | 52.8 | 1,495.6 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Yuze Onsen, Kazuno (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.1 (52.0) | 15.2 (59.4) | 19.2 (66.6) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.6 (88.9) | 33.4 (92.1) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.8 (96.4) | 33.8 (92.8) | 27.3 (81.1) | 22.8 (73.0) | 15.8 (60.4) | 36.0 (96.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) | 1.5 (34.7) | 5.6 (42.1) | 13.4 (56.1) | 20.0 (68.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 26.5 (79.7) | 27.6 (81.7) | 23.3 (73.9) | 16.8 (62.2) | 9.7 (49.5) | 2.7 (36.9) | 14.3 (57.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) | −2.0 (28.4) | 1.1 (34.0) | 7.0 (44.6) | 13.4 (56.1) | 17.6 (63.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 22.3 (72.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 11.2 (52.2) | 5.1 (41.2) | −0.3 (31.5) | 9.3 (48.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.6 (21.9) | −5.4 (22.3) | −2.8 (27.0) | 1.7 (35.1) | 7.5 (45.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 6.8 (44.2) | 1.3 (34.3) | −3.2 (26.2) | 5.2 (41.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −18.7 (−1.7) | −17.2 (1.0) | −15.7 (3.7) | −9.8 (14.4) | −1.1 (30.0) | 3.2 (37.8) | 7.8 (46.0) | 8.1 (46.6) | 1.6 (34.9) | −1.8 (28.8) | −9.5 (14.9) | −15.1 (4.8) | −18.7 (−1.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 89.1 (3.51) | 77.5 (3.05) | 93.0 (3.66) | 87.2 (3.43) | 98.1 (3.86) | 112.6 (4.43) | 188.4 (7.42) | 175.8 (6.92) | 165.9 (6.53) | 143.1 (5.63) | 139.7 (5.50) | 125.1 (4.93) | 1,509 (59.41) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 18.6 | 16.5 | 16.2 | 13.2 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 12.8 | 12.4 | 13.1 | 14.6 | 17.1 | 19.6 | 176.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 27.1 | 45.9 | 92.8 | 155.3 | 190.8 | 157.2 | 127.3 | 149.3 | 130.5 | 116.8 | 73.3 | 39.8 | 1,305.9 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Hachimantai, Kazuno (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.4 (61.5) | 26.4 (79.5) | 29.7 (85.5) | 30.5 (86.9) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.8 (91.0) | 30.8 (87.4) | 25.3 (77.5) | 20.2 (68.4) | 14.3 (57.7) | 32.8 (91.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) | −1.1 (30.0) | 2.8 (37.0) | 9.6 (49.3) | 17.1 (62.8) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.8 (74.8) | 25.0 (77.0) | 20.8 (69.4) | 14.5 (58.1) | 7.4 (45.3) | 0.7 (33.3) | 11.6 (52.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.7 (23.5) | −4.2 (24.4) | −0.9 (30.4) | 4.8 (40.6) | 11.2 (52.2) | 15.5 (59.9) | 19.3 (66.7) | 20.1 (68.2) | 15.8 (60.4) | 9.5 (49.1) | 3.4 (38.1) | −2.2 (28.0) | 7.3 (45.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.8 (18.0) | −7.6 (18.3) | −4.8 (23.4) | 0.4 (32.7) | 5.8 (42.4) | 10.5 (50.9) | 15.4 (59.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 11.6 (52.9) | 5.1 (41.2) | −0.2 (31.6) | −5.2 (22.6) | 3.3 (37.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16.6 (2.1) | −17.0 (1.4) | −14.8 (5.4) | −9.0 (15.8) | −2.2 (28.0) | 0.8 (33.4) | 4.9 (40.8) | 7.1 (44.8) | 0.2 (32.4) | −2.3 (27.9) | −9.6 (14.7) | −14.2 (6.4) | −17.0 (1.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 169.0 (6.65) | 133.5 (5.26) | 146.1 (5.75) | 128.9 (5.07) | 123.2 (4.85) | 129.5 (5.10) | 230.4 (9.07) | 230.9 (9.09) | 200.9 (7.91) | 211.8 (8.34) | 229.4 (9.03) | 221.8 (8.73) | 2,155.4 (84.86) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 23.4 | 20.0 | 18.8 | 14.2 | 13.1 | 11.1 | 13.4 | 13.1 | 13.9 | 16.0 | 19.7 | 22.9 | 199.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 19.6 | 38.7 | 88.9 | 162.6 | 202.1 | 178.7 | 138.1 | 159.3 | 134.4 | 120.5 | 68.4 | 27.3 | 1,338.4 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kazuno has declined over the past 60 years.

## History

The area of present-day Kazuno was settled in prehistoric times, and contains major Jōmon period archaeological sites and numerous burial mounds from the Kofun period. The area was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was ruled by the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain during the Edo period. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became briefly part of Rikuchū Province before being transferred to Akita Prefecture in 1871. It was organized as part of Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture in 1878 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.
The city of Kazuno was founded on April 1, 1972 by the merger of the towns of Hanawa, Towada, and Osarizawa and the village of Hachimantai.

## Government

Kazuno has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members. The city contributes two members to the Akita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Akita 2nd district 2 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

## Economy

The economy of Kazuno is based on agriculture, forestry and seasonal tourism. Kazuo is the main production area in Akita Prefecture for apples, pears, cherries, peaches, blueberries, quince, and prunes. Although Kazuno is located in a mountainous area, it has also cultivated rice.

## Education

Kazuno has six public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Akita Prefectural Board of Education. Akita Prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

## Transportation
### Railway

East Japan Railway Company - Hanawa Line
* Yuze-Onsen - Hachimantai - Rikuchū-Ōsato - Kazuno-Hanawa - Shibahira - Towada-Minami - Suehiro - Dobukai

### Highway

* Tōhoku Expressway
* National Route 103
* National Route 104
* National Route 282
* National Route 285
* National Route 341
* National Route 454

## Local attractions

* Alpas Sports Park
* Chagama Falls – one of the Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls
* Dainichido Bugaku - Ritual dance and music held on January 2, UNESCO Intangible cultural heritage
* Hachimantai Onsen
* former Osarizawa Mine
* Ōyu Onsen
* Ōyu Stone Circles - Jōmon period archaeological site, Special National Historic Site of Japan
* Yuza Onsen

## International relations

Kazuno is twinned with:
* Sopron, Hungary (1995)
* Liangzhou, China since November 6, 2000

## Noted people from Kazuno

* Junko Asari, Olympic marathon runner
* Yuta Kimura, professional baseball player
* Takayuki Matsumiya, Olympic long-distance runner
* Yasuhiko Okudera, professional soccer player
* Kenichi Takahashi, Olympic long-distance runner
* Naitō Torajirō, historian
* Tomoefuji Toshihide, sumo wrestler

## Media

* Kazuno Kiritanpo FM