Nagai, Yamagata
Geography. Nagai is located in mountainous southern Yamagata Prefecture. The Mogami River passes through eastern portion the city, and the northwest end of the city includes Mount Asahi. Climate. Nagai has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification "Cfa") with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Nagai is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at  around , and lowest in January, at around . Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Nagai peaked around 1950, and has gradually been decreasing over the past 70 years. History. The area of present-day Nagai was part of Dewa Province and was part of the holdings of Yonezawa Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The village of Nagai was created within Nishiokitama District, Yamagata with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Nagai merged with the neighboring villages of Toyoda, Hirano, Nishine and Isazawa on November 15, 1954 to form the city of Nagai . Government. Nagai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 16 members. The city contributes two members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly shared with Nishiokitama District. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 2 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. The economy of Nagai is based on agriculture and light manufacturing of electronic and robotic components and pharmaceuticals. Education. Nagai has six public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated  by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education. Transportation. Railway. East Japan Railway Company - Yonesaka Line