Ajigasawa, Aomori
Geography. Ajigasawa is in Nishitsugaru District, Aomori southwestern corner of Aomori Prefecture on the border with Akita Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan to the northwest, and the slopes of Mount Iwaki to the southeast. Part of the town is located within the borders of the Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some coastal areas of the town are within the Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. The Akaishi Keiryū Anmon no Taki Prefectural Natural Park is also partly located within the borders of Ajigasawa. Neighbouring municipalities. Aomori Prefecture Akita Prefecture Climate. The town has a cold humid  continental climate (Köppen "Dfb") characterized by warm short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ajigasawa is 8.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1480 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -3.1 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Ajigasawa has decreased by more than half over the past 40 years. History. Oura Mitsunobu, the founder of the Tsugaru clan, settled in Tanesato (now part of Ajigasawa) in 1491, which  developed into a port for the Tsugaru region. The area around Ajigasawa was controlled by the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. Ajigasawa became a village in Nishitsugaru District, Aomori with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, and was elevated to town status on March 31, 1955 by annexing the neighboring villages of Akaishi, Nakamura, Narusawa and Maido. Government. Ajigasawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town legislature of 12 members. Nishitsugaru District contributes one member to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms  of national politics, the city is part of Aomori 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. The economy of Ajigasawa is heavily dependent on agriculture (rice and horticulture) and on commercial fishing, especially for squid. Other species commonly caught in the local waters include the Japanese flounder, Japanese horse mackerel, Atka mackerel, red snapper, cod, angler fish, octopus, sharks and salmon. Education. Ajigasawa has three public elementary schools and three public junior high schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education. The Shirakami Nature  School is a non-profit organization that is housed in a 19th-century wooden building that was used as an elementary school until the spring of 2003. The Shirakami Nature School hosts a wide variety of environmental education including classroom activities and open-air classes to people of all ages. Transportation. Railway. East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Gonō Line