was a village located in
Ōno District,
Gifu Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...
, Japan.
As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 1,359 and a population density of 4.20 persons per km
2. The total area was 323.28 km
2.
On February 1, 2005, Shōkawa, along with the town of
Kuguno, and the villages of
Asahi
Asahi (Japanese 朝日, 旭, or あさひ 'morning sun') may refer to:
Places in Japan Cities
* Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'')
Wards
* Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'')
* Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'')
Towns
* Asahi, Aichi ...
,
Kiyomi
('' Citrus unshiu'' × '' sinensis'') is a Japanese, sweet citrus fruit that is a hybrid of a ''Miyagawa Wase'' mikan and an orange. The new breed was the first tangor created in Japan in 1949. It was named Kiyomi after the temple and the la ...
,
Miya,
Nyūkawa and
Takane (all from
Ōno District), the town of
Kokufu were the capitals of the historical Provinces of Japan from the Nara period to the Heian period.
History
As part of the Taika Reform (645), which aimed at a centralization of the administration following the Chinese model (''ritsuryō''), the '' ...
, and the village of
Kamitakara (both from
Yoshiki District), was merged into the expanded city of
Takayama and no longer exists as an independent
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
.
In Fall, the village puts on Japan's longest
lion dance
Lion dance ( zh, s=舞狮, t=舞獅, p=wǔshī, c=, first=t) is a form of traditional dance in Culture of China, Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a Asiatic lion, lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good l ...
festival (
Renjishi
''Renjishi'' (連獅子), or Two Lions, is a kabuki Shosagoto, dance with lyrics written by Kawatake Mokuami, choreography by Hanayagi Jusuke I and music by Kineya Shōjirō III and Kineya Katsusaburō II, first performed in 1872.
Originally sta ...
- 連獅子).
During the building of the
Miboro dam, a portion of the village was submerged. One of the village's oldest cherry trees, which was threatened by the dam project, was transplanted to an area alongside the dam made lake.
Though it is merely a pit stop on the way to
Shirakawa or Takayama, it boasts an onsen.
In 1999, a prehistoric reptile, ''
Shokawa ikoi'', was discovered and named after the town.
Climate
Shōkawa, including parts of Takasu-cho have a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dfb''), with four distinct seasons.
Some of the coldest settlements of mainland Japan (Honshu) can be found on this plateau, with a climate similar to that of
Hokkaidō
is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel.
The ...
, boasting an average of 10 metres snowfall throughout the winter season and giving rise to a selection of ski resorts and winter activities.
Notes
External links
Official website of Takayama
The village's official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shokawa, Gifu
Dissolved municipalities of Gifu Prefecture
Takayama, Gifu
2005 disestablishments in Japan