Oyama (小山町, Oyama-chō) is a town located in Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2023[update], the town had an estimated population of 17,297 in 7496 households [1] and a population density of 127 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 135.74 square kilometres (52.41 sq mi).[2]
Oyama
小山町 | |
|---|---|
 Oyama Town Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Oyama in Shizuoka Prefecture | |
  Oyama | |
| Coordinates: 35°21′36.3″N 138°59′14.2″E / 35.360083°N 138.987278°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Chūbu Tōkai |
| Prefecture | Shizuoka |
| District | Suntō |
| Area | |
• Total | 135.74 km2 (52.41 sq mi) |
| Population (July 2019) | |
• Total | 18,458 |
| • Density | 140/km2 (350/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Sakura |
| • Flower | Rapeseed |
| • Bird | Japanese bush-warbler |
| Phone number | 0550-76-1111 |
| Address | 57-2 Fujimagari, Oyama-chō, Suntō-gun, Shizuoka-ken 410-1395 |
| Website | Official website |
Geography
editOyama is located in the far northeastern corner of Shizuoka Prefecture, bordering on Yamanashi and Kanagawa Prefectures. Located in between the Tanzawa Mountains and the foothills of Mount Fuji, the town has an average altitude of 800 meters, and has a cool climate with heavy rainfall. Some 65% of the town is covered in forest.
Surrounding municipalities
edit- Kanagawa Prefecture
- Shizuoka Prefecture
- Yamanashi Prefecture
Demographics
editPer Japanese census data,[3] the population of Oyama has been in decline over the past 50 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 9,170 | — |
| 1950 | 10,768 | +17.4% |
| 1960 | 25,944 | +140.9% |
| 1970 | 24,256 | −6.5% |
| 1980 | 23,212 | −4.3% |
| 1990 | 23,566 | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 22,235 | −5.6% |
| 2010 | 20,630 | −7.2% |
| 2020 | 18,568 | −10.0% |
Climate
editThe city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Oyama is 12.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1817 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.7 °C.[4]
History
editA small post town existed in this area since the Heian period, as Oyama is located at the base of the Ashigara Pass on the main route connecting the ancient provinces of Sagami with Kai and Suruga Provinces. The area was mostly tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system in the early Meiji period on April 1, 1889, the area was reorganized into the villages of Rokugo, Kannuma, Ashigara, Kitago and Subashiri within Suntō District, Shizuoka, two months after the opening of Suruga-Oyama Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line (now Gotemba Line).
The villages of Rokugo and Suganuma merged to form Oyama on August 1, 1912. Oyama annexed neighboring Ashigara on April 1, 1955, Kitago Village on August 1, 1956 and Subashiri on September 30, 1956. The Furusawa District of former Kitago transferred from Oyama to Gotemba on September 1, 1957.
Economy
editDue to its proximity to the Tokyo metropolitan area, Oyama has a mixed economy of agriculture and light industry. Rice is the principal agricultural crop.
Education
editOyama has five public elementary schools and three public junior high school operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Shizuoka Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation
editRailway
editHighway
editTōmei Expressway Gotemba Interchange
National Route 138
National Route 246
Sister cities
editShōō, Okayama, Japan since November 24, 1973
Mission, British Columbia, Canada, since October 7, 1996[5]
Local attractions
edit- Fuji Cemetery
- Fuji Speedway
- Higashiguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja
Notable people from Oyama
edit- Sachiko Sugiyama - professional volleyball player
References
edit- ^ Oyama Town official statistics (in Japanese)
- ^ "Home" (in Japanese). Oyama Town. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- ^ Oyama population statistics
- ^ Oyama climate data
- ^ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.