Kanuma, Tochigi
[file:Kanumaimamiyayatai.jpg|right|thumb|Imamiya Shrine Festival]
Kanuma is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 94,926 in 36,795 households, and a population density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the town is.
Geography
Kanuma is located in the central area of Tochigi Prefecture. The city is located in the northern part of the Kanto region. The western half of the city area is occupied by the Ashio Mountains, and the eastern half, by a diluvial plateau called Kanuma Plateau. The city is bordered by the prefectural capital of Utsunomiya to the east.Surrounding municipalities
Gunma PrefectureTochigi Prefecture
Climate
Kanuma has a Humid subtropical climate characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kanuma is. The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around.Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kanuma peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.History
Kanuma was the castle town for a 25,000 koku feudal domain in the early Edo period. Even after the domain was suppressed by the Tokugawa shogunate, the area continued to prosper from its location with a number of post stations on the Nikkō Reiheishi Kaidō. The town of Kanuma was created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of then modern municipalities system. It was raised to city status on October 10, 1948. On January 1, 2006, the town of Awano was merged into Kanuma.Government
Kanuma has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 24 members. Kanuma contributes three members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tochigi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.Economy
The economy of Kanuma is primarily agricultural. Hemp was once a major cash crop, but has been supplanted by soba and strawberries.Education
Kanuma has 24 primary schools and ten middle schools operated by the city government. The city has four public high schools operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education.Transportation
Railway
JR East – Nikkō LineTobu Railway – Tobu Nikkō Line
- - - - -
Highway
- – Kanuma Interchange
International relations
- Tieling, Liaoning, China
- Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
Notable people
- Sayaka Hirano, table tennis player
- Guts Ishimatsu, boxer
- Tosio Kato, mathematician
- Takuya Kawamura, member of QuizKnock
- Hisashi Kurosaki, football player
- Takeji Nara, Imperial Japanese Army general
- Manabu Wakabayashi, football player
- Michio Yuzawa, politician and cabinet minister