Ajigasawa, Aomori

Ajigasawa

鰺ヶ沢町
Ajigasawa 鰺ヶ沢町
Town
	Ajigasawa Town
	Flag Seal
	Location of Ajigasawa in Aomori Prefecture
	Ajigasawa
	Coordinates: 40°46′47.7″N 140°12′31.2″E / 40.779917°N 140.208667°E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Aomori
District	Nishitsugaru
Area
• Total	343.08 km2 (132.46 sq mi)
Population (January 31, 2023)
• Total	8,951
• Density	26/km2 (68/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0173-72-2111
Address	321 Maitocho-aza-Naruto, Ajigasawa-machi, Nishitsugaru-gun, Aomori-ken 038-2792
Climate	Cfa
Website	Official website
Symbols
Bird	Japanese bush-warbler
Flower	Rosa rugosa
Tree	Keyaki

Ajigasawa (鰺ヶ沢町, Ajigasawa-machi) is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2023^[update], the town had an estimated population of 8,951 in 4394 households,^[1] and a population density of 26 persons per km². The total area of the town is 343.08 square kilometres (132.46 sq mi).

Geography

Ajigasawa is in Nishitsugaru District, Aomori southwestern corner of Aomori Prefecture on the border with Akita Prefecture, facing the Sea of Japan to the northwest, and the slopes of Mount Iwaki to the southeast. Part of the town is located within the borders of the Shirakami-Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and some coastal areas of the town are within the Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. The Akaishi Keiryū Anmon no Taki Prefectural Natural Park is also partly located within the borders of Ajigasawa.

Neighbouring municipalities

Akita Prefecture

Aomori Prefecture

Climate

The town has a cold humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm short summers and long cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ajigasawa is 10.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1480 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -3.1 °C.^[2]

Climate data for Ajigasawa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	12.4 (54.3)	18.3 (64.9)	20.2 (68.4)	28.3 (82.9)	32.3 (90.1)	31.4 (88.5)	35.3 (95.5)	36.9 (98.4)	35.3 (95.5)	27.7 (81.9)	24.0 (75.2)	17.8 (64.0)	36.9 (98.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	2.2 (36.0)	2.8 (37.0)	6.6 (43.9)	12.8 (55.0)	17.9 (64.2)	21.3 (70.3)	25.2 (77.4)	27.0 (80.6)	23.6 (74.5)	17.6 (63.7)	11.3 (52.3)	5.0 (41.0)	14.4 (58.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−0.2 (31.6)	0.1 (32.2)	3.0 (37.4)	8.2 (46.8)	13.2 (55.8)	17.1 (62.8)	21.3 (70.3)	22.8 (73.0)	19.3 (66.7)	13.4 (56.1)	7.6 (45.7)	2.1 (35.8)	10.7 (51.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2.9 (26.8)	−2.9 (26.8)	−0.7 (30.7)	3.6 (38.5)	8.5 (47.3)	13.2 (55.8)	17.9 (64.2)	19.2 (66.6)	15.3 (59.5)	9.3 (48.7)	3.9 (39.0)	−0.8 (30.6)	7.0 (44.5)
Record low °C (°F)	−10.9 (12.4)	−10.3 (13.5)	−9.3 (15.3)	−4.1 (24.6)	−1.2 (29.8)	4.8 (40.6)	8.4 (47.1)	10.1 (50.2)	6.5 (43.7)	1.0 (33.8)	−6.6 (20.1)	−10.0 (14.0)	−10.9 (12.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	108.0 (4.25)	79.5 (3.13)	73.0 (2.87)	72.5 (2.85)	78.7 (3.10)	83.3 (3.28)	127.1 (5.00)	157.4 (6.20)	154.3 (6.07)	149.1 (5.87)	159.0 (6.26)	144.9 (5.70)	1,386.7 (54.59)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	140 (55)	121 (48)	60 (24)	2 (0.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	6 (2.4)	84 (33)	412 (162)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	21.8	18.0	14.7	11.1	10.2	9.3	9.7	10.5	11.8	14.4	17.5	21.5	170.5
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm)	16.9	15.0	7.5	0.3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.9	9.6	50.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours	27.4	53.7	123.5	196.8	213.6	194.8	180.1	200.6	168.0	136.7	70.9	33.5	1,599.5
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency^[3]^[4]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[5] the population of Ajigasawa has decreased by more than half over the past 60 years.

Historical population

Year

Pop.

±% p.a.

1950

22,741

—

1960

22,123

−0.28%

1970

18,439

−1.81%

1980

17,402

−0.58%

1990

14,899

−1.54%

2000

13,551

−0.94%

2010

11,449

−1.67%

2020

9,613

−1.73%

History

Oura Mitsunobu, the founder of the Tsugaru clan, settled in Tanesato (now part of Ajigasawa) in 1491, which developed into a port for the Tsugaru region. The area around Ajigasawa was controlled by the Tsugaru clan of Hirosaki Domain during the Edo period. Ajigasawa became a village in Nishitsugaru District, Aomori with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, and was elevated to town status on March 31, 1955 by annexing the neighboring villages of Akaishi, Nakamura, Narusawa and Maido.

Government

Ajigasawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town legislature of 12 members. Nishitsugaru District contributes one member to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Aomori 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Ajigasawa is heavily dependent on agriculture (rice and horticulture) and on commercial fishing, especially for squid. Other species commonly caught in the local waters include the Japanese flounder, Japanese horse mackerel, Atka mackerel, red snapper, cod, angler fish, octopus, sharks and salmon.

Education

Ajigasawa has two public elementary schools and one public junior high schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education.

The Shirakami Nature School is a non-profit organization that is housed in a 19th-century wooden building that was used as an elementary school until the spring of 2003. The Shirakami Nature School hosts a wide variety of environmental education including classroom activities and open-air classes to people of all ages.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Gonō Line

Mutsu-Akaishi - Ajigasawa - Narusawa

Highway

International relations

– São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil since October 26, 1984 ^[6]

Local attractions

The Kikuya squid stand on the outskirts of town is the home of Wasao, an Akita dog that garnered nationwide attention after starring in a 2011 feature film which was filmed on location in the town.
Aomori Spring Ski Resort (formerly known as NAQUA Shirakami Ski Resort).
Aomori Spring Golf Club
Rockwood Hotel & Spa
Ajigasawa Beach is about a ten-minute walk from the train station and has both grass and sand areas with a view of the Sea of Japan.
Umi No Eki “Wando” is a collection of stores, much like a market, that sells local goods directly from the farmers and fishermen. The products sold here are all local, and very fresh.
Shirakami-Sanchi – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Otaka-yama park is open to the public and includes a multipurpose stadium, tennis courts, amphitheater, go-carts and an elaborate playground.
Kurokuma Falls (くろくまの滝, Kurokuma no taki), gets its name from its appearance; it looks like a standing black bear. It is one of Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls.
Tanesato Castle ruins, a National Historic Site^[7]*Akaishi Keiryū Anmon no Taki Prefectural Natural Park