Shirosato, Ibaraki
Geography. Located in central-west Ibaraki Prefecture, Shinsato is bordered by Tochigi Prefecture to the west. The Naka River passes through the town. Surrounding municipalities. Ibaraki Prefecture Tochigi Prefecture Climate. Shirosato has a Humid continental climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shirosato is 13.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1390 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data , the population of Shirosato has remained fairly stable for the past 40 years. History. Shirosato was formed on February 1, 2005, from the merger of the town of Jōhoku, the village of Katsura, both from Higashiibaraki District, and the village of Nanakai, from Nishiibaraki District. Government. Shirosato has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 14 members. Shirosato, together with city of Mito, contributes seven members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 1st district of the lower house of the  Diet of Japan. Economy. The economy of Shirosato is primarily agricultural. Education. Shirosato has five public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.