Gero, Gifu
Geography. Gero is located in east-central Gifu Prefecture. The Hida River and the Maze River run throughout the city. Over 91% of the city area is covered by mountains and forest. Much of the city is within the borders of the Hida-Kisogawa Quasi-National Park. The volcano, Mount Ontake, is located in Gero. Climate. The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and mild winters (Köppen climate classification "Cfa"). The average annual temperature in Gero is 13.0 °C (55.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2103 mm (82.8 in) with September  as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C (78.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around 0.5 °C (32.9 °F). Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Gero has declined steadily over the past 40 years. History. The area around Gero was part of traditional Hida Province. During the Edo period, it was part of the "tenryō" controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. During the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the area was organised into Mashita District, Gifu. The village of Gero of created on July 1 , 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on January 1, 1925. Gero merged with the towns of "Hagiwara", "Kanayama" and "Osaka", and the village of "Maze" (all from Mashita District) on March 1, 2004 to form the city of Gero. Government. Gero has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 14 members. Economy. Gero's major industry is tourism. It is known throughout Japan for its onsen, which are mentioned even in the Nara period "Shoku Nihongi". Gero has many hotels that  can be visited by guests that are looking for accommodations near the hot springs. Large tubs are located in some hotels allowing couples to bathe together. Some hotels lend yukatas to the couples. It's not unusual to see people wearing yukatas on the streets and even in stores. Besides those in hotels, there are many inexpensive and convenient onsens located near railway stations, residential areas, and commercial centers up and down the valley. Forestry and agriculture also play significant roles in the local economy. Education. Gero has 13 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the  city government, and one public high school operated by the Gifu Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates two special education schools. Transportation. Railway. JR Tōkai - Takayama Main Line