Yasu, Shiga
Geography. Yasu is located in south-central Shiga Prefecture, on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. The city skyline is dominated by Mount Mikami, also known as "Ōmi Fuji" from its resemblance to Mount Fuji. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Mikami-Tanakami-Shigaraki Prefectural Natural Park. Neighboring municipalities. Shiga Prefecture Climate. Yasu has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yasu is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1430 mm with September as the wettest  month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.1 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Yasu has doubled over the past 60 years. History. Yasu is part of ancient Ōmi Province and the route of the Tōsandō (later the Nakasendō) highway connecting Heian-kyō with the eastern provinces passed through the area; however, there were no "shukuba" within the city limits. Most of the area was "tenryō" territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. The minor feudal domain of  Mikami Domain controlled by a cadet branch of the Endo clan had its "jin'ya" in Yasu, but its estates were widely scattered in other locations, mostly in Izumi province. The town of Yasu was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Yasu annexed the village of Mikami in 1942, and the villages of Shinohara and Gio in 1955, On October 1, 2004, Yasu absorbed the neighboring town of Chūzu (also from Yasu District) and was elevated to city status. Yasu District was dissolved as a result of this merger. Government. Yasu has a mayor -council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Yasu contributes two members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. The economy of Yasu is centered on agriculture and light manufacturing. There are several industrial parks in the city. Education. Yasu has six public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the city government. There is one public high school operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The  prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. Transportation. Railway. JR West – Biwako Line