# Minamiaizu

Minamiaizu (南会津町, Minamiaizu-machi) is a town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2020, the town had an estimated population of 15,158 in 6,575 households, and a population density of 17 persons per km$^2$. The total area of the town was 886.52 square kilometres (342.29 sq mi).

## Geography

Minamiaizu is located in the mountainous southern portion of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, bordered Tochigi Prefecture to the south.
* Mountains : Onsabi Mountains, Nasudake, Mount Nanatsugadake
* Rivers : Okawa, Ina River

### Neighboring municipalities

* Fukushima Prefecture
** Hinoemata
** Shimogō
** Shōwa
** Tadami
* Tochigi Prefecture
** Nasushiobara
** Nikkō

### Climate

Minamiaizu has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Minamiaizu is 8.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1642 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around -3.4 °C.
Climate data for Tajima, Minamiaizu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) | 16.2 (61.2) | 21.4 (70.5) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.4 (88.5) | 33.4 (92.1) | 35.0 (95.0) | 34.6 (94.3) | 32.4 (90.3) | 27.7 (81.9) | 24.0 (75.2) | 18.4 (65.1) | 35.0 (95.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) | 3.0 (37.4) | 7.1 (44.8) | 14.5 (58.1) | 20.7 (69.3) | 23.8 (74.8) | 27.2 (81.0) | 28.4 (83.1) | 23.8 (74.8) | 17.6 (63.7) | 11.5 (52.7) | 4.9 (40.8) | 15.4 (59.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) | −2.0 (28.4) | 1.3 (34.3) | 7.6 (45.7) | 13.6 (56.5) | 17.7 (63.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 22.3 (72.1) | 18.1 (64.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 5.4 (41.7) | 0.2 (32.4) | 9.6 (49.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.8 (19.8) | −6.9 (19.6) | −3.7 (25.3) | 1.2 (34.2) | 6.8 (44.2) | 12.5 (54.5) | 17.2 (63.0) | 17.9 (64.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 7.0 (44.6) | 0.6 (33.1) | −3.8 (25.2) | 4.7 (40.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.7 (−3.5) | −19.4 (−2.9) | −19.7 (−3.5) | −8.6 (16.5) | −2.3 (27.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.2 (48.6) | 2.0 (35.6) | −3.8 (25.2) | −10.4 (13.3) | −19.2 (−2.6) | −19.7 (−3.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 94.4 (3.72) | 63.6 (2.50) | 67.0 (2.64) | 64.0 (2.52) | 80.8 (3.18) | 116.2 (4.57) | 206.8 (8.14) | 174.3 (6.86) | 165.9 (6.53) | 128.1 (5.04) | 62.6 (2.46) | 94.5 (3.72) | 1,318.1 (51.89) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 187 (74) | 153 (60) | 96 (38) | 10 (3.9) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 6 (2.4) | 110 (43) | 562 (221) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 16.1 | 13.0 | 12.7 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 12.2 | 15.5 | 12.8 | 11.8 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 150.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) | 17.3 | 15.5 | 11.4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 8.9 | 54.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 59.5 | 77.0 | 124.8 | 160.1 | 184.1 | 140.7 | 135.1 | 160.3 | 117.4 | 109.3 | 94.5 | 68.4 | 1,431.1 |
| Source 1: JMA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: JMA ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Nangō, Minamiaizu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.6 (52.9) | 14.1 (57.4) | 20.1 (68.2) | 28.0 (82.4) | 32.7 (90.9) | 33.1 (91.6) | 35.1 (95.2) | 36.6 (97.9) | 34.1 (93.4) | 29.7 (85.5) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.2 (66.6) | 36.6 (97.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.2 (34.2) | 2.1 (35.8) | 6.0 (42.8) | 13.7 (56.7) | 20.7 (69.3) | 24.0 (75.2) | 27.3 (81.1) | 28.8 (83.8) | 24.4 (75.9) | 18.1 (64.6) | 11.4 (52.5) | 4.3 (39.7) | 15.2 (59.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.2 (28.0) | −1.9 (28.6) | 1.1 (34.0) | 7.1 (44.8) | 13.9 (57.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.9 (73.2) | 18.7 (65.7) | 12.2 (54.0) | 5.7 (42.3) | 0.4 (32.7) | 9.9 (49.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) | −6.1 (21.0) | −3.2 (26.2) | 1.5 (34.7) | 7.4 (45.3) | 13.3 (55.9) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.5 (65.3) | 14.4 (57.9) | 7.7 (45.9) | 1.4 (34.5) | −2.9 (26.8) | 5.3 (41.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −18.0 (−0.4) | −17.2 (1.0) | −16.5 (2.3) | −7.3 (18.9) | −1.1 (30.0) | 3.8 (38.8) | 9.3 (48.7) | 9.1 (48.4) | 3.0 (37.4) | −2.9 (26.8) | −11.2 (11.8) | −15.0 (5.0) | −18.0 (−0.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 126.8 (4.99) | 79.1 (3.11) | 76.0 (2.99) | 65.7 (2.59) | 76.6 (3.02) | 117.1 (4.61) | 225.1 (8.86) | 169.6 (6.68) | 139.4 (5.49) | 134.7 (5.30) | 119.7 (4.71) | 161.6 (6.36) | 1,492.1 (58.74) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 306 (120) | 249 (98) | 175 (69) | 42 (17) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 16 (6.3) | 211 (83) | 1,010 (398) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 20.6 | 16.2 | 15.7 | 11.6 | 11.3 | 13.0 | 15.6 | 13.2 | 13.4 | 13.9 | 16.0 | 20.0 | 180.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) | 23.4 | 20.9 | 20.1 | 5.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | 13.5 | 85.2 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 55.1 | 75.1 | 126.8 | 173.4 | 196.2 | 154.3 | 148.0 | 186.8 | 136.6 | 123.1 | 99.1 | 62.5 | 1,540.6 |
| Source 1: JMA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: JMA ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Minamiaizu peaked I the 1950s and has declined steadily over the past 60 years. It is now less than it was a century ago.

## History

The area of present-day Minamiaizu was part of ancient Mutsu Province and formed part of the holdings of Aizu Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, it was organized as part of Minamiaizu District in Fukushima Prefecture. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Tajima and the villages of Ina, Nangō, and Tateiwa were established with the creation of the modern municipalities system. These four municipalities merged on March 20, 2006, to form the town of Minamiaizu.

## Economy

The economy of Minamiaizu is primarily agricultural. Rice, tomatoes and asparagus are the main crops.

## Education

The town has seven public elementary schools and four public junior high school operated by the town government. The town has two public high schools operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education.
* Fukushima Prefectural Tajima High School
* Fukushima Prefectural Minamiaizu High School

## Transportation
### Railway

Aizu Railway – Aizu Line
* Aizu-Nagano - Tajimakōkōmae - Aizu-Tajima - Nakaarai - Aizu-Arakai - Aizu-Sanson-Dōjō - Nanatsugatake-Tozanguchi - Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi
■ Yagan Railway – Aizu Kinugawa Line
* Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi

### Highway

* National Route 121
* National Route 289
* National Route 352
* National Route 400
* National Route 401

## Local attractions

* Aizu-Tajima Gionsai festival
* Hosoi Residence Museum
* Komado Wetlands
* Maezawa Magariya Village (Museum of "L" Shaped Old Folk Houses)
* Okuaizu Museum
* Tashiroyama Wetlands
* Yunohana Onsen

## Noted people from Minamiaizu

* Kozo Watanabe, politician