Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Yonezawa has recently declined after a long period of stability.
History
The area of present-day Yonezawa was part of ancient Dewa Province and was controlled in the Sengoku period by the Date clan. The famed warlord Date Masamune was born in Yonezawa. During the Edo period, the area became Yonezawa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate, ruled by the Uesugi clan. After the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized into Minamiokitama District, Yamagata Prefecture.
The city of Yamagata was established on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system
Government
Yonezawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 24 members. The city contributes three members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 3 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
List of mayors of Yonezawa
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|--
! Name<br />(Japanese kanji name)
! colspan=2|Term of Office
|--
| Ryuzo Otaki {大滝龍蔵} || 5 July 1889 || 30 July 1899
|--
| Shinjyuro Otaki {大滝新十郎} || 9 September 1899 || 18 June 1902
|--
| Komataro Hirata {平田駒太郎} || 22 July 1902 || 3 February 1905
|--
| Chusei Nimura {二村忠誠} || 3 February 1905 || 20 January 1912
|--
| Kansuke Sakai {酒井寛助} || 22 July 1902 || 3 February 1905
|--
| Chuzo Fukazawa {深沢忠蔵} || 16 April 1914<br>5 March 1925 || 15 April 1918<br>4 March 1929
|--
| Shutaro Usami {宇佐美駿太郎} || 13 May 1918 || 25 June 1920
|--
| Hidezo Nagai {永井秀蔵} || 24 November 1920 || 21 November 1924
|--
| Matazo Tosaka {登坂又蔵} || 16 March 1929 || 4 March 1944
|--
| Tatsugoro Usami{宇佐美辰五郎} || 2 May 1944 || 16 November 1946
|--
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|--
! Name<br />(Japanese Kanji name)
! colspan=2|Term of Office
|--
| Takeo Okamura {岡村武雄} || 22 July 1902 || 3 February 1905
|--
| Kokichi Takahashi {高橋広吉} || 5 August 1948 || 3 December 1955
|--
| Keitaro Yoshiike {吉池慶太郎} || 27 January 1956 || 20 December 1975
|--
| Toshihide Cho {長俊英} || 22 December 1975 || 21 December 1983
|--
| Sachio Takahashi {高橋幸翁} || 22 December 1983 || 21 December 2003
|--
| Sanjyuro Abe {安部三十郎} || 22 December 2003 || 21 December 2015
|--
| Masaru Nakagawa {中川勝} || 22 December 2015 || 21 December 2023
|--
| Yōsuke Kondō (近藤洋介) || 22 December 2023 || present
|--
|}
Economy
The economy of Yamagata is based on agriculture, horticulture, light manufacturing and tourism.
Education
Colleges and universities
- Yamagata University Yonezawa campus
- Yonezawa Women's Junior College
Primary and secondary education
Yonezawa has 18 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government and four public high schools operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools.
Transportation
Railway
20px East Japan Railway Company - Yamagata Shinkansen
20px East Japan Railway Company - Ōu Main Line
- - - - - -
20px East Japan Railway Company - Yonesaka Line
- - - -
Highways
- – Yonezawa IC
Local attractions
- Namegawa Great Falls
- Shirabu Onsen (in gorges of Otaru River south of Yonezawa)
- Tateyama Castle
- Yonezawa Castle
- Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum
- Yonezawa Onsen
International relations
Sister cities
- Moses Lake, Washington, United States
Japan
- Takanabe, Miyazaki, since 1981
- Jōetsu, Niigata, since 1981
- Okinawa, Okinawa, since 1994
- Tōkai, Aichi, since 1999
Worldwide
- Taubaté, Brazil, since January 28, 1974
- Moses Lake, Washington, USA, since May 1, 1981
Notable people from Yonezawa
- Junzaburo Ban, actor
- Itō Chūta, architect
- Takehiko Endo, politician
- Yamashita Gentarō, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Masami Kobayashi, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Hiroshi Masumura, manga artist
- Mutsuo Minagawa, Nippon Professional Baseball player
- Chūichi Nagumo, admiral, Imperial Japanese Navy
- Ikeda Shigeaki, politician
- Hirata Tosuke, Meiji period statesman
References
External links
- Official Website
- Yonezawa Sightseeing Website