Happō (八峰町, Happō-chō) is a town located in Akita, Japan. As of 31 October 2021[update], the town had an estimated population of 6,718 in 3036 households,[1] and a population density of 29 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 234.14 square kilometres (90.40 sq mi).
Happō
八峰町 | |
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Town | |
![]() Happō Town Hall | |
![]() Flag ![]() Seal | |
![]() Location of Happō in Akita Prefecture | |
![]() ![]() Happō | |
Coordinates: 40°17′48.6″N 140°2′3.4″E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Tōhoku |
Prefecture | Akita |
District | Yamamoto |
Area | |
• Total | 234.14 km2 (90.40 sq mi) |
Population (October 2021) | |
• Total | 6,718 |
• Density | 29/km2 (74/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
Phone number | 0185-77-2111 |
Address | 118 Menagata, Minehama-Menagata, Happō-chō, Yamamoto-gun, Akita 018-2502 |
Climate | Cfa |
Website | Official website |
Symbols | |
Bird | Common gull |
Fish | Hatahata |
Flower | Katakuri |
Tree | Fagus crenata |
The area of present-day Happō was part of ancient Dewa Province, dominated by the Satake clan during the Edo period, who ruled Kubota Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. The modern town of Happō was created on March 27, 2006, by merging the village of Minehama, and the town of Hachimori, both from Yamamoto District.
Happō is located in the mountainous far northwestern corner of Akita Prefecture, bordered by the World Heritage Site Shirakami Mountains to the south, and by Aomori Prefecture to the north and the Sea of Japan to the west. Due to its location, the temperature in Happō can get remarkably cold at night, with snowfall tending to be somewhat greater than that in neighboring municipalities
Happō has a Humid subtropical 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 Happō is 11.6 °C (52.9 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,501.6 mm (59.12 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.9 °C (75.0 °F), and lowest in January, at around 0.7 °C (33.3 °F).[2]
Climate data for Hachimori, Happō (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.1 (57.4) |
18.2 (64.8) |
19.1 (66.4) |
25.9 (78.6) |
28.0 (82.4) |
31.4 (88.5) |
35.2 (95.4) |
37.4 (99.3) |
36.0 (96.8) |
29.0 (84.2) |
21.8 (71.2) |
18.7 (65.7) |
37.4 (99.3) |
Average high °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) |
3.6 (38.5) |
7.1 (44.8) |
12.9 (55.2) |
18.0 (64.4) |
22.0 (71.6) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.6 (81.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
18.4 (65.1) |
12.0 (53.6) |
6.0 (42.8) |
15.1 (59.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.7 (33.3) |
0.9 (33.6) |
3.8 (38.8) |
9.0 (48.2) |
14.1 (57.4) |
18.3 (64.9) |
22.3 (72.1) |
23.9 (75.0) |
20.4 (68.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
8.7 (47.7) |
3.2 (37.8) |
11.6 (53.0) |
Average low °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
0.5 (32.9) |
4.9 (40.8) |
10.2 (50.4) |
14.7 (58.5) |
19.3 (66.7) |
20.4 (68.7) |
16.4 (61.5) |
10.6 (51.1) |
5.2 (41.4) |
0.3 (32.5) |
8.2 (46.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −8.3 (17.1) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
1.1 (34.0) |
5.6 (42.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
12.9 (55.2) |
7.7 (45.9) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 91.2 (3.59) |
68.9 (2.71) |
83.2 (3.28) |
95.8 (3.77) |
119.8 (4.72) |
106.0 (4.17) |
172.2 (6.78) |
170.8 (6.72) |
155.2 (6.11) |
158.3 (6.23) |
152.7 (6.01) |
127.5 (5.02) |
1,501.6 (59.12) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 17.2 | 13.9 | 13.4 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 10.5 | 12.1 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 14.1 | 16.7 | 18.9 | 161.1 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 40.3 | 62.0 | 116.5 | 164.3 | 178.0 | 175.2 | 145.4 | 174.5 | 158.8 | 135.4 | 81.3 | 44.6 | 1,472.1 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2] |
Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Happō has been in steady decline for the past 60 years.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1960 | 15,421 | — |
1970 | 13,083 | −15.2% |
1980 | 11,638 | −11.0% |
1990 | 10,677 | −8.3% |
2000 | 9,698 | −9.2% |
2010 | 8,225 | −15.2% |
2020 | 6,577 | −20.0% |
The economy of Happō is based on agriculture and commercial fishing.
Happō has two public elementary schools and one middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.
East Japan Railway Company - Gonō Line
Media related to Happō, Akita at Wikimedia Commons
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