Maebashi 前橋市 |
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Core city | |||
A view of Maebashi with Mt. Akagi, from the top of the Prefectural Government building
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Location of Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture |
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Coordinates: 36°23′22.2″N 139°3′48.3″E / 36.389500°N 139.063417°ECoordinates: 36°23′22.2″N 139°3′48.3″E / 36.389500°N 139.063417°E | |||
Country | Japan | ||
Region | Kantō | ||
Prefecture | Gunma Prefecture | ||
Government | |||
• -Mayor | Ryu Yamamoto (since February 2012) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 311.59 km2 (120.31 sq mi) | ||
Population (May 2015) | |||
• Total | 339,701 | ||
• Density | 1,081/km2 (2,800/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
- Tree | Ginkgo & Zelkova | ||
- Flower | Rose & Azalea | ||
Phone number | 027-224-1111 | ||
Address | 2-12-1, Ote-Machi, Maebashi-shi, Gunma-ken 371-8601 | ||
Website | Official website |
Maebashi (前橋市 Maebashi-shi?) is a city located in central Gunma Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It is the capital of Gunma Prefecture.
As of May 2015, the city had an estimated population of 339,701 and a population density of 1081 persons per km². Its total area was 311.59 km². It was the most populous city within Gunma Prefecture until Takasaki merged with nearby towns between 2006 and 2009.
Maebashi is known to be the "City of Water, Greenery and Poets" because of its pure waters, its rich nature and because it gave birth to several Japanese contemporary poets, such as Sakutaro Hagiwara.
Maebashi is located at the foot of Mt. Akagi in the northeast corner of the Kantō Plain. It is also surrounded by Mount Haruna and Mount Myogi. Two rivers run through the city: the Tone River, Japan's second-longest, and the Hirose River.
Maebashi is the farthest from the sea (about 120 km) of all Japanese prefectural capitals.
Maebashi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). In the winter, the "karakaze", or "dry wind" blows through Maebashi from the north. This is due to the snow clouds coming from the Sea of Japan being blocked by the Echigo Mountain Range between Gunma and Niigata Prefectures. Because of this, the city has a dry winter and is one of the sunniest places in Japan at over 2,210 hours of sunshine per year. In the summer, it is hot since the location is inland. On July 24, 2001, Maebashi hit 40 °C (104 °F), the fifth-hottest temperature ever in Japan.