Miharu, Fukushima
Geography. Miharu is located in Tamura District in north-central Fukushima prefecture. The town is located in an hilly region of the Abukuma Mountains, with peaks of 300–500 meters. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Miharu has remained stable over the past 40 years. Climate. Miharu has a humid continental climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Miharu is 11.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1282 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around  24.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.3 °C. History. The area of present-day Miharu was part of ancient Mutsu Province. During the Edo period, the area was the castle town of Miharu Domain, a 50,000 "koku" han ruled by the Akita clan from 1645 until the Meiji Restoration. It was subsequently organized as part of Nakadōri region of Iwaki Province. Miharu town was established with the formation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On April 1, 1955, Miharu annexed the neighboring villages of Ogisawa, Nakazuma, Nakago, Sawaishi and Kurita, all from Tamura  District. Economy. The economy of Miharu is primarily agricultural, with some chemical and light manufacturing. Education. Miharu has six public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Fukushima Board of Education. Transportation. Railway. JR East - Ban'etsu East Line