Shirakawa, Fukushima

Shirakawa is located in south-central Fukushima prefecture facing the Nasu plateau, and extending to the lowland Shirakawa Basin.

• Rivers: Abukuma River

Per Japanese census data,^[5] the population of Shirakawa peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.

Comparison of Population Distribution between Shirakawa and Japanese National Average	Population Distribution by Age and Sex in Shirakawa
■Shirakawa ■Japan (average)	■Male ■Female
1970 58,896 1975 59,821 1980 60,253 1985 62,596 1990 63,839 1995 65,155 2000 66,048 2005 65,707 2010 64,710
2015 Census, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications - Statistics Department

The area of present-day Shirakawa was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was the location of a barrier gate on the Ōshū Kaidō connecting the capital at Kyoto with the northern provinces. In the Heian period, the Buddhist monk and waka poet Nōin composed the following poem about the region:

都をば霞とともに立ちしかど秋風ぞ吹く白河の関

Miyako wo ba kasumi to tomo ni tachishikado akikaze zo fuku Shirakawa no seki.

(English: I left the capital with the spring haze, but at the barrier of Shirakawa the autumn wind blows.)

In the Edo period the area prospered as a castle town Shirakawa Domain, and was the site of a major battle in the Boshin War during the Meiji restoration. In the Meiji period, it was organized as part of Nakadōri region of Iwaki Province.

The town of Shirakawa was formed on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. On April 1, 1949, Shirakawa was elevated to city status after merging with the neighboring village of Ōnuma. Subsequent mergers occurred in 1954 and 1955 with the inclusion of the villages of Shirasaka, Odagawa, Goka and a portion of Omotegō into the territory of Shirakawa. On November 7, 2005, the villages of Taishin, Higashi, and the remainder of Omotegō (all from Nishishirakawa District) were merged into Shirakawa, increasing its population from 48,297 to approximately 66,000 and territory from 117.67 km² (45.43 sq mi) to 305.30 km² (117.88 sq mi).

Shirakawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 26 members. Shirakawa, together with Nishishirakawa District contributes three members to the Fukushima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Fukushima 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Shirakawa has a mixed economy, and is a major commercial center for the surrounding region. Principal industries include electrical appliances, construction materials and clothing.^[6] The D+M Group has a plant where Marantz and Denon high fidelity components are produced.

Shirakawa has fifteen public elementary schools and eight junior high schools operated by the city government and four public high schools operated by the Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education.

Shirakawa has nineteen post offices within the boundaries of the city.^[7]

• Site of Shirakawa Barrier - National Historic Site ^[8]
• Komine Castle – One of the 100 Castles of Japan^[9]
• Nanko Park – National Historic Site and National Scenic Site ^[10]
• Shirakawa Funada-Motonuma Sites – kofun period burial tumulus, National Historic Site^[11]
• Yūki-Shirakawa Castle, National Historic Site ^[12]
• Festivals held in Shirakawa include "Daruma Ichi", celebrating the traditional Daruma doll, wherein the city streets are packed with stalls selling Daruma, a variety of festival foods and charms, and "Chōchin Matsuri" (Lantern Festival), which is held each summer, with a special three-day celebration held once every three years.

• Compiègne, France, since October 20, 1988
• Anoka, Minnesota, United States, since October 13, 2002

• Atsushi Fujita, Olympic marathon runner
• Toshiaki Fushimi, Olympic cyclist
• Koji Igarashi, longtime Castlevania series producer and creator of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
• Hideo Madarame, Olympic cyclist
• Gishu Nakayama, writer