Shimonita, Gunma
Geography. Shimonita is located in southwestern Gunma Prefecture bordering on Nagano Prefecture to the west. Part of the town is within the borders of the Myōgi-Arafune-Saku Kōgen Quasi-National Park. Approximately 84% of the town's total area is covered by forests. Surrounding municipalities. Gunma Prefecture Nagano Prefecture Climate. Shimonita has a Humid continental climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shimonita is 11.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1106 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average  in August, at around 31.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.5 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Shimonita has decreased drastically over the past 40 years. History. During the Edo period, the area of present-day Shimonita was largely part of the "tenryō" territory held directly by Tokugawa shogunate within Kōzuke Province. The town of Shimonita was created within Kitakanra District of Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. In 1950 Kitakanra District was renamed Kanra District. Shimonita annexed the neighboring villages  of Osaka, Saimoku, Aokura and Mayama on March 10, 1955. Government. Shimonita has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Shimonita, together with the other municipalities in Kanra District contributes one member to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Gunma 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. The economy of Shimonita is heavily dependent on agriculture. Education. Shimonita has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the town government and one  public high school operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education. Transportation. Railway. Jōshin Dentetsu - Jōshin Line