Tendō, Yamagata
Geography. Tendō is located in the east-central portion of the Yamagata Basin, bordered by the Ōu Mountains to the east. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Tendō has gradually been increasing over the past 40 years. Climate. Tendō 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 Tendō is 11.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1381  mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.4 °C. History. During the Edo period, the area of present-day Tendō was part of Tendō Domain, a 20,000 "koku" feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate controlled by the Oda clan, who ruled from 1831 to 1871. After the start of the Meiji period, the area organized as Tendō Village under Higashimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture in 1878. It was elevated to town status on April 27, 1892 and became a city on  October 1, 1958. Government. Tendō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 22 members. The city contributes two members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 1 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. The economy of Tendō is based on seasonal tourism, agriculture and wood products. The city is traditionally known for its production of the wooden pieces ("koma") used in Japanese chess ("shogi"), and games of "human shogi" have been played since 1966. The  city also has numerous "onsen" hot springs within its borders. Transportation. Railway. East Japan Railway Company - Yamagata Shinkansen Twin towns – sister cities. Tendō is twinned with: