Kawanishi, Hyōgo

Kawanishi

川西市
Kawanishi 川西市
City
	Kawanishi City Hall
	Flag Emblem
	Location of Kawanishi in Hyōgo Prefecture
	Kawanishi Location in Japan
	Coordinates: 34°50′N 135°25′E / 34.833°N 135.417°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Hyōgo
Government
• Mayor	Tamio Oshio
Area
• Total	53.44 km2 (20.63 sq mi)
Population (September 30, 2022)
• Total	155,165
• Density	2,900/km2 (7,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	12-1 Chūō-chō, Kawanishi-shi, Hyōgo-ken 666-8501
Website	Official website
Symbols
Flower	Gentian
Tree	Sakura

Kawanishi (川西市, Kawanishi-shi) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. As of 30 September 2022^[update], the city had an estimated population of 155,165 and a population density of 2900 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city is 53.44 square kilometres (20.63 sq mi).

Geography

Kawanishi is located in far eastern Hyōgo Prefecture, about 5 km north of Osaka Itami Airport.^[2] It is bordered on the west by the Inagawa river.

Neighbouring municipalities

Hyōgo Prefecture

Osaka Prefecture

Climate

Kawanishi has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kawanishi is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 14759 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.6 °C.^[3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[4] the population of Kawanishi has been increasing steadily since the 1920s.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1920	13,951	—
1930	17,039	+22.1%
1940	22,411	+31.5%
1950	32,555	+45.3%
1960	41,916	+28.8%
1970	87,127	+107.9%
1980	129,834	+49.0%
1990	141,253	+8.8%
2000	153,763	+8.9%
2010	156,476	+1.8%

History

The area of Kawanishi was part of ancient Kawabe District of Settsu Province and has been inhabited since ancient times, with the traces of a Yayoi period settlement many kofun burial mounds found within the city limits. From the Heian period, the Tada-in was a sacred site for the Seiwa Genji clan after Minamoto no Mitsunaka, a grandson of Emperor Seiwa retired to this area. From the 11th century, the Tada Silver Mine, which produced silver and copper, started. It reached peak production the 17th century, which is why this area was tenryō territory under the direct administration of the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. The village of Kawanishi was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was elevated to town status on October 1, 1925. On August 1 1954 it merged with the villages of Higashitani (東谷村) and Tada (多田村) to become the city of Kawanishi.

Government

Kawanishi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Kawanishi contributes three members to the Hyōgo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Hyōgo th district and Hyōgo 6th districts of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

In 1884, Mitsubishi established Japan's first noted water plant in Kawanishi, this later became Mitsuya Cider.^[5] At present, Kawanishi is a commuter town for workers in Kobe and Osaka, with express trains running from Osaka to Kawanishi to accommodate these travelers. Though primarily suburban, Kawanishi does have a significant agricultural sector, especially in the northern portions of the city. Major crops include peaches, chestnuts, figs, and charcoal.

Education

Kawanishi has 16 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Hyōgo Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, the city also operates one special education school for the handicapped. The Toyo College of Food Technology, a junior college, is located in the city