is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 28,329 in 12,570 households, and a population density of 40 persons per km<sup>2</sup>. The total area of the city is .

Geography

Kazuno is located in the far northeast corner of Akita Prefecture. The urban center is located in the Hanawa Basin, which is part of the basin of the Yoneshiro River. Outside the Hanawa Basin, it is mountainous and heavily forested, with numerous rivers and waterfalls with the Ōu Mountains and Iwate Prefecture on the east. The area has many hot springs. Much of the city is within the borders of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, although the city does not border on Lake Towada self. Due to its inland location, the difference between the annual maximum temperature and the annual minimum temperature is very large and the city is noted for its heavy snowfall in winter.

Neighboring municipalities

Akita Prefecture

  • Kitaakita
  • Kosaka
  • Ōdate
  • Semboku

Aomori Prefecture

  • Sannohe
  • Shingō
  • Takko
  • Towada

Iwate Prefecture

  • Hachimantai

Climate

Kazuno has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters with heavy snowfalls. The average annual temperature in Kazuno is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)

|Jan record high C = 11.1

|Feb record high C = 15.8

|Mar record high C = 18.8

|Apr record high C = 29.5

|May record high C = 32.3

|Jun record high C = 33.5

|Jul record high C = 37.0

|Aug record high C = 36.9

|Sep record high C = 34.4

|Oct record high C = 27.3

|Nov record high C = 22.4

|Dec record high C = 17.3

|Jan record low C = -22.4

|Feb record low C = -19.7

|Mar record low C = -16.8

|Apr record low C = -9.9

|May record low C = -1.8

|Jun record low C = 3.2

|Jul record low C = 8.1

|Aug record low C = 8.6

|Sep record low C = 1.4

|Oct record low C = -2.9

|Nov record low C = -11.4

|Dec record low C = -16.6

|Jan high C = 0.6

|Feb high C = 1.7

|Mar high C = 5.8

|Apr high C = 13.6

|May high C = 19.9

|Jun high C = 23.8

|Jul high C = 26.8

|Aug high C = 28.1

|Sep high C = 24.0

|Oct high C = 17.4

|Nov high C = 10.1

|Dec high C = 3.0

|Jan mean C = -2.9

|Feb mean C = -2.3

|Mar mean C = 1.0

|Apr mean C = 7.4

|May mean C = 13.8

|Jun mean C = 18.3

|Jul mean C = 21.9

|Aug mean C = 22.8

|Sep mean C = 18.3

|Oct mean C = 11.4

|Nov mean C = 5.0

|Dec mean C = -0.5

|Jan low C = -7.1

|Feb low C = -6.9

|Mar low C = -3.7

|Apr low C = 1.6

|May low C = 8.0

|Jun low C = 13.4

|Jul low C = 17.9

|Aug low C = 18.5

|Sep low C = 13.6

|Oct low C = 6.3

|Nov low C = 0.7

|Dec low C = -4.1

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 79.4

|Feb precipitation mm = 68.7

|Mar precipitation mm = 84.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 89.2

|May precipitation mm = 93.1

|Jun precipitation mm = 108.3

|Jul precipitation mm = 200.6

|Aug precipitation mm = 190.4

|Sep precipitation mm = 149.3

|Oct precipitation mm = 138.8

|Nov precipitation mm = 136.0

|Dec precipitation mm = 116.3

|year precipitation mm = 1454.1

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 17.8

|Feb precipitation days = 15.9

|Mar precipitation days = 14.8

|Apr precipitation days = 13.0

|May precipitation days = 12.0

|Jun precipitation days = 10.1

|Jul precipitation days = 12.3

|Aug precipitation days = 11.4

|Sep precipitation days = 12.1

|Oct precipitation days = 13.9

|Nov precipitation days = 16.9

|Dec precipitation days = 19.1

|snow colour = green

|Jan snow cm = 182

|Feb snow cm = 150

|Mar snow cm = 100

|Apr snow cm = 2

|May snow cm = 0

|Jun snow cm = 0

|Jul snow cm = 0

|Aug snow cm = 0

|Sep snow cm = 0

|Oct snow cm = 0

|Nov snow cm = 13

|Dec snow cm = 132

|year snow cm = 579

|unit snow days = 3 cm

|Jan snow days = 20.9

|Feb snow days = 17.8

|Mar snow days = 13.1

|Apr snow days = 0.4

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0

|Nov snow days = 1.6

|Dec snow days = 14.1

|Jan sun = 52.2

|Feb sun = 72.0

|Mar sun = 118.5

|Apr sun = 158.4

|May sun = 185.3

|Jun sun = 174.0

|Jul sun = 147.0

|Aug sun = 168.2

|Sep sun = 146.7

|Oct sun = 132.9

|Nov sun = 87.6

|Dec sun = 52.8

|year sun = 1495.6

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kazuno has declined over the past 60 years.

History

The area of present-day Kazuno was settled in prehistoric times, and contains major Jōmon period archaeological sites and numerous burial mounds from the Kofun period. The area was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was ruled by the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain during the Edo period. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became briefly part of Rikuchū Province before being transferred to Akita Prefecture in 1871. It was organized as part of Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture in 1878 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.

The city of Kazuno was founded on April 1, 1972 by the merger of the towns of Hanawa, Towada, and Osarizawa and the village of Hachimantai.

Government

thumb|Kazuno City Hall

Kazuno has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members. The city contributes two members to the Akita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Akita 2nd district 2 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Kazuno is based on agriculture, forestry and seasonal tourism. Kazuo is the main production area in Akita Prefecture for apples, pears, cherries, peaches, blueberries, quince, and prunes. Although Kazuno is located in a mountainous area, it has also cultivated rice.

Education

Kazuno has six public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Akita Prefectural Board of Education. Akita Prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railway

20px East Japan Railway Company - Hanawa Line

  • - - - - - - -

Highway

Local attractions

thumb|[[Dainichido Bugaku]]

thumb|Goshogake Onsen

  • Alpas Sports Park
  • Chagama Falls – one of the Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls
  • Dainichido Bugaku - Ritual dance and music held on January 2, UNESCO Intangible cultural heritage
  • Hachimantai Onsen
  • former Osarizawa Mine
  • Ōyu Onsen
  • Ōyu Stone Circles - Jōmon period archaeological site, Special National Historic Site of Japan
  • Yuze Onsen

International relations

Kazuno is twinned with:

  • Sopron, Hungary (1995)
  • Liangzhou, China