Tadami, Fukushima



Tadami (只見町) is a town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the town has an estimated population of 4,117 in 1749 households, of which 45.88% were classified as "elderly households" The town had a population density of 5.5 persons per km2. The total area of the town was 747.56 sqkm. Tadami is famous locally for its own Snow Festival, where huge sculptures and replicas of monuments are cut out of Tadami's abundant snow.

Geography
Tadami is located in the mountainous western portion of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, bordered Niigata Prefecture to the west.

Mountains

 * Aizuasahidake
 * Asakusadake
 * Gamoudake

Rivers

 * Tadami River
 * Ina River

Lakes

 * Lake Tadami
 * Lake Tagokura

Neighboring municipalities

 * Fukushima Prefecture
 * Kaneyama
 * Shōwa
 * Minamiaizu
 * Hinoemata
 * Niigata Prefecture
 * Uonuma
 * Sanjō
 * Aga

Climate
Tadami has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tadami is 11.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1749 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.3 °C.

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Tadami peaked around the year 1960 and has declined steadily in the decades since. It is now much smaller than it was a century ago.

History
The area of present-day Tadami was part of ancient Mutsu Province and formed part of the holdings of Aizu Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, it was organized as part of Minamiaizu District in Fukushima Prefecture. Inahoku village was founded on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It changed its name on November 3, 1953 to Tadami. The village expanded on July 20, 1955 through a merger with neighboring Meiwa Village. Tadami was raised to town status on August 1, 1959 after merging with the village of Asahi.

Economy
Hydroelectric power generation from numerous dams on the Tadami River is the primary source of revenue for the town.

Education
The town has three public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education.

Elementary schools

 * Tadami Elementary School
 * Asahi Elementary School
 * Meiwa Elementary School

Junior high schools

 * Tadami Junior High School

High schools

 * Tadami High School

Railway
JR East – Tadami Line
 * Aizu-Shiozawa - Aizu-Gamō - Tadami

Local attractions

 * Tadami Hot Springs
 * Fukasawa Hot Springs
 * Mizukubo castle ruin
 * Tagokura Dam
 * Kurotani Shrine
 * Tadami Museum
 * Kawai Tsuginosuke Museum
 * Beech tree forest, listed on UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in 2014