# Yonago

Yonago (米子市, Yonago-shi) is a city in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 December 2021, the city had an estimated population of 146,139 in 68,534 households and a population density of 1100 persons per km$^2$. The total area of the city is 132.42 square kilometres (51.13 sq mi). It is the prefecture's second largest city after Tottori, and forms a commercial center of the western part of this prefecture.

## Geography

Yonago is in far western Tottori Prefecture, and faces the Sea of Japan to the north and Lake Nakaumi to the northwest. It is adjacent to Shimane Prefecture and across the lake from its capital of Matsue. The city limits are mostly flat, and the Hino River flows through the Yonago Plain. The southern part is a hilly area at the foot of Mount Daisen, and the mountainous area can be seen from the Yumigahama Peninsula in the northwest. The irrigation canal "Yonekawa" runs from Yonago City to Sakaiminato City as an intake of water from the Hino River.

## Surrounding municipalities

Tottori Prefecture
* Sakaiminato
* Daisen
* Nanbu
* Hōki
* Hiezu
Shimane Prefecture
* Yasugi

## Climate

Yonago has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, with July and September being particularly wet months.
Climate data for Yonago (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1939−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.0 (68.0) | 25.4 (77.7) | 27.5 (81.5) | 33.7 (92.7) | 33.8 (92.8) | 35.8 (96.4) | 38.3 (100.9) | 38.9 (102.0) | 37.1 (98.8) | 33.5 (92.3) | 27.3 (81.1) | 23.5 (74.3) | 38.9 (102.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) | 9.2 (48.6) | 12.9 (55.2) | 18.4 (65.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 26.0 (78.8) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.7 (89.1) | 27.1 (80.8) | 22.1 (71.8) | 16.8 (62.2) | 11.1 (52.0) | 19.8 (67.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.7 (40.5) | 5.1 (41.2) | 8.2 (46.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 18.2 (64.8) | 21.8 (71.2) | 26.2 (79.2) | 27.3 (81.1) | 23.0 (73.4) | 17.5 (63.5) | 12.2 (54.0) | 7.1 (44.8) | 15.4 (59.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) | 1.3 (34.3) | 3.5 (38.3) | 8.0 (46.4) | 13.3 (55.9) | 18.2 (64.8) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 13.1 (55.6) | 7.9 (46.2) | 3.5 (38.3) | 11.3 (52.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −7.2 (19.0) | −9.4 (15.1) | −5.6 (21.9) | −3.1 (26.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | 5.9 (42.6) | 12.2 (54.0) | 13.7 (56.7) | 7.2 (45.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | −1.4 (29.5) | −6.7 (19.9) | −9.4 (15.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 151.7 (5.97) | 117.5 (4.63) | 128.2 (5.05) | 106.3 (4.19) | 119.1 (4.69) | 169.5 (6.67) | 227.2 (8.94) | 128.4 (5.06) | 214.3 (8.44) | 131.1 (5.16) | 118.1 (4.65) | 145.9 (5.74) | 1,757.2 (69.18) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 39 (15) | 32 (13) | 6 (2.4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 19 (7.5) | 95 (37) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 17.5 | 14.5 | 13.4 | 10.2 | 9.1 | 10.5 | 11.9 | 9.6 | 11.3 | 10.0 | 12.4 | 16.5 | 146.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) | 7.5 | 6.4 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 18.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 74 | 72 | 69 | 67 | 68 | 76 | 77 | 75 | 77 | 74 | 72 | 74 | 73 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 72.3 | 87.7 | 141.5 | 182.0 | 208.6 | 160.8 | 171.5 | 207.1 | 148.7 | 156.8 | 116.5 | 82.5 | 1,732.4 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||

## Demography

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yonago has been slowly growing since the 1950s as follows.

## Etymology

The name of Yonago in the Japanese language is formed from two kanji characters. The first, 米, means "rice", and the second, 子 means "child".

## History

The area of Yonago was part of ancient Hōki Province. Per the Kojiki, the tomb of the creator kami Izanami is located on the border of Yonago with neighboring Izumo Province, and many Yayoi period and Kofun period remains have been found within city limits.
In the early Edo Period, the Tokugawa Shogunate appointed Nakamura Kazutada to be daimyō of the 175,000 koku Yonago Domain, and reconstructed Yonago Castle. The center of the modern city of Yonago evolved from the jōkamachi of that castle. After Nakamura died without heir, the domain was abolished and its territories incorporated into the holdings of the Ikeda clan of Tottori Domain. The Ikeda retained Yonago Castle and assigned it to their hereditary karō from the Arao clan who ruled until the Meiji restoration.
The town of Yonago was established within Aioi District of Tottori Prefecture with the creation of the modern municipalities system in October 1889. A post office was founded in 1872, a prison in 1877, and a courthouse in 1884. Railway services were established in 1902. After becoming Saihaku County through county mergers, Yonago was raised to city status on April 1, 1927. Yonago absorbed the town of Yodoe (from Saihaku District) on March 31, 2005.

## Government

Yonago has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Yonago contributes nine members to the Tottori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tottori 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

### Mayor of city era (1927 to present)
## Economy

Over 70% of the Yonago workforce is employed in the service sector.
Oji Paper has a production facility in Yonago. The city is also home to Sharp Yonago, which produces Sharp-brand flat screen televisions.

## Education

Yonago has 23 public elementary schools and 11 public junior high schools operated by the town government and one private junior high school. The city has six public high schools operated by the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education and national public high school and five private high schools. Tottori University has a campus located in Yonago. The prefecture also operates three special education schools for the handicapped.

## Transportation
### Airports

* Miho-Yonago Airport, located in a neighboring city of Sakaiminato. There are currently flights to and from Tokyo Haneda Airport.

### Railway

JR West - San'in Line
* Yonago - Higashiyamakōen - Hōki-Daisen - Yodoe
JR West - Hakubi Line
* Hōki-Daisen
JR West - Sakai Line
* Yonago - Bakurōmachi - Fujimichō - Gotō - Sambommatsuguchi - Kawasakiguchi - Yumigahama - Wadahama - Ōshinozuchō

### Highways

* Yonago Expressway
* San'in Expressway
* National Route 9
* National Route 180
* National Route 181
* National Route 183
* National Route 431
* National Route 482

## Sister cities

Yonago is twinned with:
* Baoding, China, since 1991
* Sokcho, South Korea, since 1995

## Local attractions
### National Historic Sites

* Yonago Castle - A castle ruin, one of the Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles.
* Mukoeyama Kofun Cluster
* Mukibanda Yayoi remains
* Kamiyodo temple ruins
* Aoki Site
* Fukuichi Site
* Tottori Domain Battery Sites

### Other

* Odaka Castle - A castle ruin in the Sengoku period
* Ōgamiyama Shrine
* Yonago City Museum of Art
* Kaike Onsen, which sits along the Miho Bay and is part of Yonago, is said to be the birthplace of the triathlon in Japan.

## Notable people

* Sena Irie, Japanese boxer
* Maika Yamamoto, Japanese model and actress
* Nobuko Otowa, Japanese actress
* Kihachi Okamoto, Japanese film director

## Gallery

* San'in Historical Museum
* Yonago Waterbirds Sanctuary
* Kotobuki Castle of Sweets, in the Yodoe area, is modeled after Yonago Castle
* Stone wall of Yonago Castle