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Chūō

中央市
Chūō 中央市
City
	Chūō City Hall
	Flag Seal
	Location of Chūō in Yamanashi Prefecture
	Chūō
	Coordinates: 35°35′58.6″N 138°38′2.1″E / 35.599611°N 138.633917°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Tōkai)
Prefecture	Yamanashi Prefecture
Area
• Total	31.69 km2 (12.24 sq mi)
Population (October 1, 2020)
• Total	30,660
• Density	970/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	055-274-1111
Address	Usuiahara 301-1, Chūō City, Yamanashi 409-3892
Website	Official website

Chūō (中央市, Chūō-shi) is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2020^[update], the city had an estimated population of 30,660 in 13,954 households,^[1] and a population density of 970 persons per km². The total area of the city is 31.69 square kilometres (12.24 sq mi).

Geography

Chūō is located near the geographic center of the Kōfu Plateau of central Yamanashi Prefecture, hence its name which means "centre" in Japanese. The Fuji River flows through the city.

Surrounding municipalities

Yamanashi Prefecture

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Chūō is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1339 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.9 °C.^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Chūō has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1940	11,589	—
1950	14,335	+23.7%
1960	12,538	−12.5%
1970	11,747	−6.3%
1980	16,812	+43.1%
1990	25,868	+53.9%
2000	30,769	+18.9%
2010	31,322	+1.8%
2020	31,216	−0.3%

History

The modern city of Chūō was established on February 20, 2006, from the merger of the towns of Tamaho and Tatomi (both from Nakakoma District), and the village of Toyotomi (from Higashiyatsushiro District).

Government

Chūō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

Economy

The economy of Chūō is dominated by agriculture, with rice, corn and tomatoes as the major cash crops.

Education

University of Yamanashi – Medical School campus
Chūō has six public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the city government. The city does not have any high schools.