# Nan'yō, Yamagata

Nan'yō (南陽市, Nan'yō-shi) is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2020, the city had an estimated population of 31,112 in 11379 households, and a population density of 190 persons per km². The total area of the city is 160.52 square kilometres (62 sq mi).

## Geography

Nan'yo is located in the northern part of Okitama Basin in southern Yamagata Prefecture, with mountains to the north, east and west and the Mogami River forming its southern border. It is approximately 21 km from Yonezawa, 35 km from Yamagata city, 61 km from Fukushima, and 95 km from Sendai. The city has an altitude of about 200 meters in the plains rising to 450 meters in the northern mountains. Mt. Shirataka (elevation 994 meters) is the highest elevation in the city.

### Neighboring municipalities

* Yamagata Prefecture
** Kaminoyama
** Kawanishi
** Nagai
** Shirataka
** Takahata
** Yamagata
** Yamanobe

### Climate

Nan'yō has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Nan'yō is 11.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1486 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.4 °C.

## Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nan'yō has declined slightly over the past 30 years.

## History

The area of present-day Nan'yo was part of ancient Dewa Province. In Japanese folklore it is the setting of the Tsuru no Ongaeshi legend. After the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized into villages within Higashiokitama District, Yamagata Prefecture with the establishment of the modern municipalities system, including the village of Akayu. Akayu was raised to town status in December 1895.
The city of Nan'yo was established on April 1, 1967 by the merger of the former towns of Miyauchi and Akayu with the village of Wagō. Akayu is famous for its hot springs, cherries and hang gliding and includes the former village of Nakagawa. Miyauchi is famous for its chrysanthemum festival and the Kumano-taisha Shrine, and includes the former villages of Urushiyama, Yoshino, and Kaneyama. The village of Wago was created in 1955 by the merger of the villages of Okigō and Ringō. The English travel-writer Isabella Bird visited Akayu in 1878 and wrote about the town in Unbeaten Tracks in Japan. The city is named after Nanyang, China, where according to legend a chrysanthemum spring can make drinkers immortal.

## Government

Nan'yō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 1７ members. The city contributes one member to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 2 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

## Economy

The economy of Nan'yo is based on agriculture, light manufacturing, and tourism. A number of wineries are also located in the city.

### Wine

Nan'yō is home to the following three major wineries.
* Sakai Winery
* Oura Winery
* Sato Winery
In addition to the three wineries, Nan'yō is also home to a sake brewery called Azuma no Fumoto (東の麓).

## Education

Nan'yō has six public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the city government and one public high school operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education.

### High schools

* Nan'yō High School

### Junior high schools

* Akayu Junior High School
* Miyauchi Junior High School
* Okigō Junior High School

### Elementary schools

* Akayu Elementary School
* Miyauchi Elementary School
* Nakagawa Elementary School
* Okigō Elementary School
* Ringō Elementary School
* Urushiyama Elementary School

## Transportation
### Railway

East Japan Railway Company -Yamagata Shinkansen
* Akayu
East Japan Railway Company - Ōu Main Line
* Akayu, Nakagawa
Yamagata Railway Company - Flower Nagai Line
* Akayu, Nanyō-Shiyakusho, Miyauchi, Orihata, Ringō

### Highways

* Tōhoku-Chūō Expressway
* National Route 13
* National Route 113
* National Route 348
* National Route 399

## Media
### Newspapers

* Okitama Times

## Local attractions

* The 33 Images of Buddha, Mt Iwabu, Nakagawa
* Akayu Onsen, Akayu
* Chinzo-ji Temple, Urushiyama
* Hygeia Park onsen complex, Miyauchi
* Inarimori Kofun, Akayu
* Kuguri waterfall, Kotaki
* Kumano Shrine, Miyauchi
* Lake Hakuryuu, Akayu
* Mount Eboshi, Akayu. Listed as one of the 100 cherry blossoms sights in Japan.
* Nan'yo Skypark, Akayu
* Toyotarō Yūki Memorial Museum, Akayu
* Yuzuru no Sato Museum, Urushiyama

## Local events

* Eboshiyama park cherry blossom festival, Akayu, late April to early May
* Sosho park rose festival, Miyauchi, June
* Kumano-taisha festival, Miyauchi, 24–25 July
* Grape picking, sightseeing vineyard, Akayu, August–October
* Nan'yō wine festival, Hygeia park, Miyauchi, August
* Akayu onsen furosato festival, Akayu, second weekend of September
* Chrysanthemum doll festival, Miyauchi, mid-October to mid-November

## Sister cities

* Nanyang, Henan, China, since October 6, 1988

## Notable people from Nan'yo

* Megumi Ikeda, fencer
* Kyoko Inoue, professional wrestler
* Toyotarō Yūki, banker, politician