Kawaba, Gunma

Kawaba 川場村
Village
Kawaba village hall
UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0278-52-2111
Address	2390-2 Yachi, Kawaba-mura, Tone-gun, Gunma-ken 378-0101
Website	Official website

Kawaba (川場村, Kawaba-mura) is a village located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 October 2020^[update], the village had an estimated population of 3,241 in 1127 households,^[1] and a population density of 110 persons per km². The total area of the village is 85.25 square kilometres (32.92 sq mi).

Geography

Located in north-central Gunma, Kawaba is in a mountainous area. Approximately 83% of its area is covered by forests, and five rivers (the Tashiro, Sakura, Tazawa, Usune, and the Mizomata) flow through the village. Kawaba, meaning "the place of the rivers" is thought to be named after its many streams.

• Mountains: Mount Hotaka (2158m)
• Rivers: Tashiro River, Sakura River, Tazawa River, Usune River, Mizomata River

Surrounding municipalities

Gunma Prefecture

• Numata
• Katashina
• Minakami

Climate

Kawaba has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfb) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kawaba is 9.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1763 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 21.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around -2.8 °C.^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Kawaba has remained relatively constant for a century.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	3,958	—
1930	4,316	+9.0%
1940	4,552	+5.5%
1950	5,349	+17.5%
1960	5,046	−5.7%
1970	4,109	−18.6%
1980	3,905	−5.0%
1990	4,082	+4.5%
2000	4,139	+1.4%
2010	3,906	−5.6%
2020	3,480	−10.9%

History

The area of present-day Kawaba was part of the holdings of

. However, this proposal was strongly opposed by the Gunma prefectural government and met with lukewarm response from Setagaya, and the village remained independent.

Government

Kawaba has a

.

Economy

The economy of Kawaba is heavily dependent on agriculture; primarily rice, and apples and blueberries. Seasonal tourism to ski resorts and to onsen also play a major role in the economy.

Education

Kawaba has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the village government. The village does not have a high school.

Transportation

Kawaba does not have any passenger railway service and is also not connected by any national highways.

Local attractions

• Kichijō temple
• Kawaba Ski Resort
• Roadside Station Kawaba Denen Plaza

References

External links

Media related to Kawaba, Gunma at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)