Chūō, Yamanashi

Chūō (中央市, Chūō-shi) is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2020, the city had an estimated population of 30,660 in 13,954 households, and a population density of 970 persons per km². The total area of the city is 31.69 square kilometres (12.24 sq mi).

Chūō 中央市
City
Chūō City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Chūō in Yamanashi Prefecture
Chūō
Coordinates: 35°35′58.6″N 138°38′2.1″E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Tōkai)
Prefecture	Yamanashi Prefecture
Area
• Total	31.69 km2 (12.24 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2020)
• Total	30,660
• Density	970/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC 9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	055-274-1111
Address	Usuiahara 301-1, Chūō City, Yamanashi 409-3892
Website	Official website

Koikawa Post Office in Chūō, Yamanashi

Geography

Chūō is located near the geographic center of the Kōfu Plateau of central Yamanashi Prefecture, hence its name which means "centre" in Japanese. The Fuji River flows through the city.

Surrounding municipalities

Yamanashi Prefecture

• Ichikawamisato
• Kōfu
• Minami-Alps
• Shōwa

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Chūō is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1339 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.9 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Chūō has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1940	11,589	—
1950	14,335	23.7%
1960	12,538	−12.5%
1970	11,747	−6.3%
1980	16,812	43.1%
1990	25,868	53.9%
2000	30,769	18.9%
2010	31,322	1.8%
2020	31,216	−0.3%

History

The modern city of Chūō was established on February 20, 2006, from the merger of the towns of Tamaho and Tatomi (both from Nakakoma District), and the village of Toyotomi (from Higashiyatsushiro District).

Government

Chūō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

Economy

The economy of Chūō is dominated by agriculture, with rice, corn and tomatoes as the major cash crops.

Education

• University of Yamanashi – Medical School campus
• Chūō has six public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the city government. The city does not have any high schools.

Transportation

Railway

• Central Japan Railway Company - Minobu Line
  • Higashi-Hanawa - Koikawa

Highway

• Chūō Expressway
• National Route 140

Notable people from Chūō

• Masao Inoue, Japanese professional wrestler (Pro Wrestling Noah)
• Hidehiro Sugai, Japanese footballer currently playing as a left-back for Kashima Antlers of J1 League
• Shingo Takagi, Japanese professional wrestler (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)

External links

Media related to Chūō, Yamanashi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)