Tendō, Yamagata

Tendō (天童市, Tendō-shi) is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2020, the city had an estimated population of 61,947 in 22392 households, and a population density of 550 persons per km². The total area of the city is 113.01 square kilometres (43.63 square miles).

Tendō 天童市
City
Tendō skyline
Flag Seal
Location of Tendō in Yamagata Prefecture
Tendō   Tendō Tendō (Tohoku, Japan) Tendō Tendō (Japan)
Coordinates: 38°21′44.2″N 140°22′40.6″E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Yamagata
Government
• Mayor	Shinji Yamamoto (from December 2008)
Area
• Total	113.01 km2 (43.63 sq mi)
Population  (February 2020)
• Total	61,947
• Density	550/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC 9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
• Tree	Maple
• Flower	Azalea
• Bird	Meadow bunting
Phone number	023-654-1111
Address	1-1-1 Oinomori, Tendō-shi, Yamagata-ken 994-8510
Website	Official website

Tendō City Hall

Geography

Tendō is located in the east-central portion of the Yamagata Basin, bordered by the Ōu Mountains to the east.

Neighboring municipalities

• Yamagata Prefecture
  • Higashine
  • Kahoku
  • Nakayama
  • Sagae
  • Yamagata

Climate

Tendō has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) 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 Tendō is 11.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1381 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.4 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Tendō has remained relatively stable in recent decades.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1960	44,521	—
1970	44,758	0.5%
1980	52,597	17.5%
1990	57,339	9.0%
2000	63,231	10.3%
2010	62,214	−1.6%
2020	62,140	−0.1%

History

During the Edo period, the area of present-day Tendō was part of Tendō Domain, a 20,000 koku feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate controlled by the Oda clan, who ruled from 1831 to 1871.

After the start of the Meiji period, the area organized as Tendō Village under Higashimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture in 1878. It was elevated to town status on April 27, 1892 and became a city on October 1, 1958.

Government

Tendō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 22 members. The city contributes two members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 1 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Tendō is based on seasonal tourism, agriculture and wood products. The city is traditionally known for its production of the wooden pieces (koma) used in Japanese chess (shogi), and games of "human shogi" have been played since 1966. The city also has numerous onsen hot springs within its borders.

Education

• Uyō-Gakuen College
• Tendō has twelve public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government and one public high school operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company - Yamagata Shinkansen

• Tendō

East Japan Railway Company - Ōu Main Line

• Takatama- Tendō-Minami - Tendō - Midaregawa

Highways

• Tōhoku-Chūō Expressway – Tendō Interchange
• National Route 13
• National Route 48

Sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan

Tendō is twinned with:

• Marlborough, New Zealand (1989)
• Marostica, Italy (1993)
• Wafangdian, China (2002)

Notable people

• Kenta Kurihara (born 1982), professional baseball player
• Chiyako Sato (born 1897), musician
• Kenji Shimizu (born 1940), founder of Tendoryu Aikido
• Genjiyama Tsunagorō (born 1786), sumo wrestler

External links

• Tendo travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official Website (in Japanese)