Yaita
Geography. Yaita is located in north-central Tochigi Prefecture in the foothills of the Nasu region. The area is well watered, with numerous springs and rivers. The city spreads to the southern foot of Mt. Takahara. The northern mountains and forest areas include the Tochigi Prefectural Forest, Happo Natural Recreation Forest, and are an important watershed and source of spring water. The southern part of the city is composed of a plain that is the northernmost extension of the Kanto plain. The urban center is about 130 kilometers north of the Tokyo metropolis and 30 kilometers north of the  prefectural capital at Utsunomiya. Surrounding municipalities. Tochigi Prefecture Climate. Yaita has a Humid continental climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yaita is 12.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1482 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.6 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Yaita has remained relatively steadily over the past 40 years. History. They area of Yaita has been settled since Japanese  Paleolithic times, and the workings of an obsidian mine in the northern portion of the city has been dated to 19,000 years ago. During the Edo Period, most of the area was the direct "tenryō" holdings of the Tokugawa Shogunate. With the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the villages of Yaita, Izumi and Kataoka villages were established within Shioya District, Tochigi Prefecture. Yaita was elevated to town status on June 25, 1895. Yaita annexed Izumi and Kataoka on January 1, 1955. It was elevated to city status on November 1, 1958. Government. Yaita has a  mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Yaita contributes one member to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tochigi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. Agriculture (primarily rice) and forestry are mainstays of the local economy. The consumer electronics company Sharp has a large factory in Yaita. Education. Yaita has nine public primary schools, and three public middle schools operated by the city government, and three public high schools operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board  of Education. The International University of Health and Welfare College of Nursing is located in Yaita. Transportation. Railway. JR East – Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)