Tsunan

Tsunan

津南町
Tsunan 津南町
Town
	Tsunan town hall
	Flag Seal
	Location of Tsunan in Niigata
	Tsunan
	Coordinates: 37°0′51.4″N 138°39′9.1″E / 37.014278°N 138.652528°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) (Hokuriku)
Prefecture	Niigata
District	Nakauonuma
Area
• Total	170.21 km2 (65.72 sq mi)
Population (September 2018)
• Total	9,725
• Density	57/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Paulownia tomentosa
• Flower	Chrysanthemum morifolium
• Bird	Japanese bush-warbler
Phone number	025-765-3111
Address	585 Shimofunato, Tsunan-machi, Nakauonuma-gun, Niigata-ken 949-8201
Website	Official website

Tsunan (津南町, Tsunan-machi) is a town located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 September 2018^[update], the town had an estimated population of 9,725 in 3555 households ^[1], and a population density of 57.9 persons per km². The total area of the town was 170.21 square kilometres (65.72 sq mi).

Geography

Tsunan is located in southwestern Niigata Prefecture, in a mountainous area bordering northern Nagano Prefecture. Due to its geographical location between the Sea of Japan and the surrounding Japanese Alps, it has one of the highest annual snowfalls in Japan. There are numerous ski resorts within the region. Mount Naeba (2143 meters) is partly located within the town limits.

Surrounding municipalities

Climate

Tsunan has a Humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tsunan is 12.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1918 mm with September as the wettest month.The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.2 °C.^[2]

Climate data for Tsunan, Niigata (1981-2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	1.7 (35.1)	2.2 (36.0)	5.7 (42.3)	13.2 (55.8)	19.8 (67.6)	23.2 (73.8)	26.5 (79.7)	28.4 (83.1)	23.6 (74.5)	17.4 (63.3)	11.4 (52.5)	5.2 (41.4)	14.9 (58.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−1.4 (29.5)	−1.3 (29.7)	1.7 (35.1)	8.0 (46.4)	14.4 (57.9)	18.7 (65.7)	22.2 (72.0)	23.6 (74.5)	19.2 (66.6)	13.0 (55.4)	7.0 (44.6)	1.6 (34.9)	10.6 (51.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−4.7 (23.5)	−5.2 (22.6)	−2.3 (27.9)	3.3 (37.9)	9.4 (48.9)	14.8 (58.6)	18.7 (65.7)	19.8 (67.6)	15.5 (59.9)	9.0 (48.2)	3.2 (37.8)	−1.5 (29.3)	6.7 (44.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	235.9 (9.29)	157.0 (6.18)	116.8 (4.60)	79.7 (3.14)	102.2 (4.02)	136.1 (5.36)	184.4 (7.26)	152.9 (6.02)	177.2 (6.98)	151.1 (5.95)	164.2 (6.46)	218.1 (8.59)	1,875.6 (73.85)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	443 (174)	320 (126)	208 (82)	75 (30)	4 (1.6)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	27 (11)	272 (107)	1,349 (531.6)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	68.6	82.4	113.6	166.8	181.2	140.3	138.8	174.7	119.6	123.4	105.5	84.9	1,499.8
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Tsunan has declined steadily over the past 40 years.

Census Year	Population
1970	16,092
1980	13,841
1990	12,955
2000	12,389
2010	10,881

History

The area of present-day Tsunan was part of ancient Echigo Province and was tenryō territory under the direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organised into various villages within Nakauonuma District, Niigata The town of Tsunan was established on January 1, 1955 by the merger of the villages of Tomaru, Kamigō, Ashigasaki, Akinari, Nakafukami and Shimofunato.

Economy

The local economy is dominated by agriculture. The area is known for its rice, sake, tomatoes, sunflowers, and buckwheat noodles. The town is also within commuting distance of neighbouring Tōkamachi.

Education

Tsunan has three public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. There is one public high school operated by the Niigata Prefecture Board of Education.