Katashina, Gunma

Katashina (片品村) is a village located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 4,314 in 1694 households, and a population density of 11 persons per km2. The total area of the village is 391.76 sqkm. m2. Much of the village is within the borders of Oze National Park.

Geography
Located in northern Gunma, Katashina is bordered by Tochigi Prefecture to the east and Fukushima Prefecture to the northeast. The village is very mountainous, with the highest elevation being 2578 m and the lowest 640 m. The temperature can reach up to 36 °C in the summer, but in the winter, it can drop to -18 °C. The average temperature is 11 °C, the yearly precipitation is 1042 mm, and amount of snowfall is 95 cm, with the snowy period lasting for 120 days.


 * Mountains: Mount Nikkō-Shirane (2578 m), Mount Shibutsu (2228 m), Mount Hotaka (2158m)
 * Rivers: Katashina River, Ōtaki River
 * Lakes: Marunuma (Maru Swamp), Suganuma

Surrounding municipalities
Gunma Prefecture Tochigi Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture Niigata Prefecture
 * Numata
 * Minakami
 * Kawaba
 * Nikkō
 * Hinoemata
 * Uonuma

Climate
Katashina has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Katashina has decreased by more than half over the past 60 years.

History
The area of present-day Katashina was part of the tenryō holdings within Kōzuke Province administered directly by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. On April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration, Katashina village was established within Tone District, Gunma.

Government
Katashina has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral village council of ten members. Katashina, together with the other municipalities in Tone District, contributes one member to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Gunma 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy
The economy of Katashina is heavily dependent on seasonal tourism to ski resorts and to onsen hot springs.

Education
Katashina has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Railways
Katashina does not have any passenger railway service.

Local attractions

 * Katashina Hot Springs
 * Hanasaku Hot Springs
 * Oze Tokura Hot Springs
 * Marunuma Hot Springs
 * Shirane Hot Springs
 * Ozegahara - Oze National Park
 * Marunuma Dam
 * Sonohara Dam
 * Konsei Mountain Pass
 * Chigira Farm
 * Marunuma Plateau Ski Resort
 * Katashina Plateau Ski Resort
 * Oze Iwakura Ski Area
 * Oze Tokura Ski Area
 * Hotaka Bokujo Ski Area
 * Oguna Hotaka Ski Area
 * Ca et la Ski Resort Oze