Shibata (柴田町, Shibata-machi) is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 March 2020[update], the town had an estimated population of 37,617, and a population density of 700 persons per km2 in 15,590 households.[1] The total area of the town is 54.03 square kilometres (20.86 sq mi).
Shibata
柴田町
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Town
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Shibata Town Office
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Location of Shibata in Miyagi Prefecture
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  Shibata
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| Coordinates: 38°03′23.7″N 140°45′57.0″E / 38.056583°N 140.765833°E / 38.056583; 140.765833 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Miyagi |
| District | Shibata |
| Area | |
| • Total | 54.03 km2 (20.86 sq mi) |
| Population
(May 31, 2020)
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| • Total | 37,617 |
| • Density | 700/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| - Tree | Momi Fir |
| - Flower | Sakura |
| - Bird | Pheasant |
| Phone number | 0224-55-2111 |
| Address | 2-3-45 Funaoka-chuo, Shibata-machi, Shibata-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-1692 |
| Website | Official website |
Shibata is located in south-central Miyagi Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The Abukuma River runs through the town.
Miyagi Prefecture
Shibata has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Shibata is 12.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1263 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.4 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Shibata increased throughout the 20th century and has declined slightly in the 21st.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 11,096 | — |
| 1930 | 12,218 | +10.1% |
| 1940 | 14,386 | +17.7% |
| 1950 | 22,682 | +57.7% |
| 1960 | 23,515 | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 26,388 | +12.2% |
| 1980 | 32,106 | +21.7% |
| 1990 | 37,315 | +16.2% |
| 2000 | 39,485 | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 39,341 | −0.4% |
| 2020 | 38,270 | −2.7% |
The area of present-day Shibata was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and was part of the holdings of Sendai Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The villages of Funaoka and Tsukinoki were established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. Tsukioki was promoted to town status on April 1, 1904 and Funaoka on November 3, 1941. The two towns merged to form Shibata on April 1, 1956.
Shibata has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 18 members. Shibata, together with the rest of Shibata District, collectively contributes two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Miyagi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
The economy of Shibata is largely based on agriculture.
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) - Tōhoku Main Line
AbukumaExpress - Abukuma Express Line
Brazil – Assis Chateaubriand (Paraná), Brazil[4] since April 13, 1981
China – Danyang, Jiangsu, China,[4] since February 23, 1994
Japan - Kitakami, Iwate, Japan, since January 25, 1980 Japan - Date, Hokkaido, Japan, since May 30, 1988 (friendship city)
Media related to Shibata, Miyagi at Wikimedia Commons
