Murata, Miyagi

Town in Tōhoku, Japan

Murata Flag Seal
Location of Murata in Miyagi Prefecture
38°07′6.7″N 140°43′20.7″E / 38.118528°N 140.722417°E / 38.118528; 140.722417
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Miyagi
District	Shibata
Area
• Total	78.38 km² (30.26 sq mi)
Population (May 31, 2020)
• Total	10,675
• Density	140/km² (350/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
• Tree	Pine
• Flower	Osmanthus fragrans
• Bird	Green pheasant
Phone number	0224-83-2111
Address	Murata-machi, Shibata-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-1392
Website	Official website

Traditional buildings in downtown Murata

Murata (村田町, Murata-machi) is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 May 2020^[update], the town had an estimated population of 10,675, and a population density of 140 persons per km² in 4026 households.^[1] The total area of the town is 78.38 square kilometres (30.26 sq mi). In September 2014, the 7.4 hectare old centre of town was protected as an Important Preservation District by the national government for its traditional merchant quarter architecture.^[2]

Geography

Murata is located in south-central Miyagi Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. The Shiroishi River runs through the town.

Neighboring municipalities

Miyagi Prefecture

Climate

Murata has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Murata is 12.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1271 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.5 °C.^[3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[4] the population of Murata declined over the past 30 years.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1950	16,049	—
1960	15,015	−6.4%
1970	13,337	−11.2%
1980	13,370	+0.2%
1990	13,632	+2.0%
2000	13,166	−3.4%
2010	11,995	−8.9%
2020	10,666	−11.1%

History

The area of present-day Murata was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and was part of the holdings of Sendai Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The modern village of Murata was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of post-Meiji restoration modern municipalities system. It was promoted to town status on October 31, 1895. The town merged with the neighboring towns on Tomioka and Numabe on April 20, 1955.

Government

Murata has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Murata, collectively with the other municipalities in Shibata District contributes two seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Miyagi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Murata is largely based on agriculture, and the town is especially known for its production of fava beans.

Education

Murata has two public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Murata does not have any passenger train service.

Highway

Tōhoku Expressway – Murata Interchange – Murata Junction
Yamagata Expressway – Murata Junction
National Route 4

Sister city relations

Buckley, Flintshire, Wales,^[5]

Local attractions

Sportsland SUGO

References

^ Murata official statistics (in Japanese)
^ 村田町村田伝統的建造物群保存地区 [Murata Groups of Traditional Buildings] (in Japanese). Murata town. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
^ Murata climate data
^ Murata population statistics
^ "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.