Kagamiishi, Fukushima

Town in Tōhoku, Japan

Kagamiishi Flag Seal
Location of Kagamiishi in Fukushima Prefecture
37°15′10.2″N 140°20′36.1″E / 37.252833°N 140.343361°E / 37.252833; 140.343361
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Fukushima
District	Iwase
Area
• Total	31.30 km² (12.08 sq mi)
Population (March 2020)
• Total	12,272
• Density	390/km² (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Sakura
- Flower	Iris sibirica
Phone number	0248-62-2111
Address	345 Fujinuma, Kagamiishi-machi, Iwase-gun, Fukushima-ken 969-0492
Website	Official website

Kagamiishi (鏡石町, Kagamiishi-machi) is a town located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2020^[update], the town had an estimated population of 12,272 in 4434 households,^[1] and a population density of 390 persons per km². The total area of the town was 31.30 square kilometres (12.08 sq mi)..

Geography

Kagamiishi is located on a plateau with an average elevation of 280 meters in south-central Fukushima prefecture, bordered by the Shakado River to the west and the Abukuma River to the east.

Neighboring municipalities

Fukushima Prefecture
- Ten'ei
- Sukagawa
- Yabuki
- Tamakawa

Climate

Kagamiishi has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Kagamiishi is 11.8 °C (53.2 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,286 mm (50.6 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.5 °C (76.1 °F), and lowest in January, at around 0.2 °C (32.4 °F).^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Kagamiishi has plateaued after a long period of growth.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1920	3,970	—
1930	4,611	+16.1%
1940	5,019	+8.8%
1950	8,246	+64.3%
1960	8,694	+5.4%
1970	9,278	+6.7%
1980	11,437	+23.3%
1990	12,130	+6.1%
2000	12,743	+5.1%
2010	12,815	+0.6%
2020	12,318	−3.9%

History

The area of present-day Kagamiishi was part of ancient Mutsu Province and formed part of the holdings of Shirakawa Domain during the Edo period. After the Meiji Restoration, it was organized as part of Iwase District in the Nakadōri region of Iwashiro Province. Kagamiishi Village was formed on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was elevated to town status on August 1, 1962. During the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, over 1000 structures were severely damaged or destroyed, corresponding to approximately 23 percent of the town,

Economy

The economy of Kagamiishi is primarily agricultural.

Education

Kagamiishi has two 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.