Tadami, Fukushima

Tadami (只見町, Tadami-machi) is a town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2020^[update], the town has an estimated population of 4,117 in 1749 households, of which 45.88% were classified as "elderly households"^[1] The town had a population density of 5.5 persons per km². The total area of the town was 747.56 square kilometres (288.63 sq mi). Tadami is famous locally for its own Snow Festival, where huge sculptures and replicas of monuments are cut out of Tadami's abundant snow.

Tadami 只見町
Town
Heavy snow in Tadami
Flag Seal
Location of Tadami in Fukushima Prefecture
Tadami
Coordinates: 37°20′55.3″N 139°18′57″E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima
District	Minamiaizu
Area
• Total	747.56 km2 (288.63 sq mi)
Population  (March 2020)
• Total	4,117
• Density	5.5/km2 (14/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0241-82-5050
Address	1039 Ōaza Tadami Aza-Amazutsumi, Tadami-machi, Fukushima-ken 968-0421
Climate	Cfa/Dfa
Website	Official website
Symbols
Bird	Japanese bush-warbler
Fish	Iwana
Flower	Magnolia kobus
Tree	Beech

Tadami Town Hall

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

• Ina River
• Tadami River

Lakes

• Lake Tadami
• Lake Tagokura

Neighboring municipalities

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

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.^[2]

Climate data for Tadami (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	11.8 (53.2)	15.7 (60.3)	19.6 (67.3)	28.4 (83.1)	33.3 (91.9)	33.6 (92.5)	36.2 (97.2)	36.5 (97.7)	35.3 (95.5)	30.8 (87.4)	24.3 (75.7)	18.8 (65.8)	36.5 (97.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	2.2 (36.0)	3.0 (37.4)	6.6 (43.9)	13.8 (56.8)	21.3 (70.3)	24.7 (76.5)	28.0 (82.4)	29.5 (85.1)	24.8 (76.6)	18.4 (65.1)	11.8 (53.2)	5.1 (41.2)	15.8 (60.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−1.2 (29.8)	−1.0 (30.2)	1.6 (34.9)	6.8 (44.2)	13.8 (56.8)	18.5 (65.3)	22.4 (72.3)	23.4 (74.1)	19.2 (66.6)	12.8 (55.0)	6.3 (43.3)	1.3 (34.3)	10.3 (50.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−4.2 (24.4)	−4.6 (23.7)	−2.5 (27.5)	1.3 (34.3)	7.3 (45.1)	13.6 (56.5)	18.4 (65.1)	19.3 (66.7)	15.4 (59.7)	9.0 (48.2)	2.6 (36.7)	−1.6 (29.1)	6.2 (43.2)
Record low °C (°F)	−16.1 (3.0)	−19.6 (−3.3)	−16.3 (2.7)	−7.3 (18.9)	−0.7 (30.7)	4.0 (39.2)	10.8 (51.4)	11.2 (52.2)	5.0 (41.0)	−5.8 (21.6)	−10.1 (13.8)	−14.9 (5.2)	−19.6 (−3.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	302.3 (11.90)	216.3 (8.52)	164.7 (6.48)	114.6 (4.51)	100.4 (3.95)	147.0 (5.79)	321.1 (12.64)	196.3 (7.73)	151.8 (5.98)	176.5 (6.95)	227.4 (8.95)	321.7 (12.67)	2,445.9 (96.30)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	387 (152)	300 (118)	195 (77)	82 (32)	4 (1.6)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	16 (6.3)	256 (101)	1,233 (485)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)	24.4	20.4	19.5	14.2	12.1	13.2	16.2	13.6	14.0	15.2	18.3	23.2	204.3
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm)	23.5	20.5	20.7	13.0	0.6	0	0	0	0	0.1	1.9	14.9	95.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours	34.1	52.3	91.7	149.8	186.7	139.5	130.9	163.2	119.0	102.0	80.0	44.4	1,295.4
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][4]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[5] 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.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	7,009	—
1930	7,728	+10.3%
1940	8,869	+14.8%
1950	10,434	+17.6%
1960	12,341	+18.3%
1970	8,838	−28.4%
1980	7,271	−17.7%
1990	6,170	−15.1%
2000	5,557	−9.9%
2010	4,932	−11.2%
2020	4,117	−16.5%

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.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

Taki Dam on the Tadami River

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

• Asahi Elementary School
• Meiwa Elementary School
• Tadami Elementary School

Junior high schools

• Tadami Junior High School

High schools

• Tadami High School

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Tadami Line

• Aizu-Shiozawa - Aizu-Gamō - Tadami

Highway

• National Route 252
• National Route 289

Local attractions

• Beech tree forest, listed on UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in 2014^[6]
• Fukasawa Hot Springs
• Kawai Tsuginosuke Museum
• Kurotani Shrine
• Mizukubo castle ruin
• Tadami Hot Springs
• Tadami Museum
• Tagokura Dam