is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 5,225 in 1851 households,Nishikawa City official statistics and a population density of 145.1 persons per km2. The total area of the town is .
Geography Nishikawa is located in mountainous central Yamagata and includes Mount Gassan and Mount Asahi within its borders. The Sagae River passes through the town. Part of the town is within the borders of the Bandai-Asahi National Park.
Neighboring municipalities Niigata Prefecture Murakami Yamagata Prefecture Asahi Ōe Oguni Ōkura Sagae Shōnai Tsuruoka
Climate Nishikawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Nishikawa is . The average annual rainfall is with December 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,Nishikawa population statistics the population of Nishikawa peaked around 1950 and has declined considerably since then. It is now less than half what it was a century ago.
History The area of present-day Nishikawa was part of ancient Dewa Province. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture. The town of Nishikawa was established on October 1, 1954, by the merger of the villages of Kawadoi, Nishiyama, Hondōji and Ōisawa.
Economy The economy of Nishikawa is based on seasonal tourism and forestry.
Education Nishikawa has one public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.
Transportation Railway Nishikawa is not served by any passenger rail service. The nearest station is Uzen-Takamatsu Station in the neighboring city of Sagae.
Highway Yamagata Expressway : Nishikawa IC, Gassan IC
Local attractions Iwanesawa Sanzan Shrine Mizugatoro Dam Mount Asahi Mount Gassan Sagae Dam
Sister cities Frisco, Colorado, United States, since August 29, 1990
References
External links
Official Website