Kanra, Gunma

Kanra 甘楽町
Town
Kanra town office
Flag Seal
Location of Kanra in Gunma Prefecture
Kanra
Coordinates: 36°14′34.8″N 138°55′18.3″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Gunma
District	Kanra
Area
• Total	58.61 km^2 (22.63 sq mi)
Population  (August 2020)
• Total	12,981
• Density	220/km^2 (570/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Japanese Red Pine
- Flower	Somei Yoshino cherry
- Bird	Green pheasant
Phone number	0274-74-3131
Address	161-1 Obata, Kanra-machi, Kanra-gun, Gunma-ken 370-2292
Website	Official website

Old town of Obata in Kanra

Kanra (甘楽町, Kanra-machi) is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 August 2020^[update], the town had an estimated population of 21,749 in 8311 households,[1] and a population density of 220 persons per km^2. The total area of the town is 58.61 square kilometres (22.63 sq mi).

Geography

Kanra is located in the southwestern portion of Gunma Prefecture on the south bank of the Kabura River.

Surrounding municipalities

Gunma Prefecture

• Fujioka
• Shimonita
• Takasaki
• Tomioka

Climate

Kanra has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with occasional snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kanra is 12.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1166 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.1 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Kanra has remained relatively steady over the past 60 years.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1960	14,847	—
1970	13,615	−8.3%
1980	13,737	+0.9%
1990	14,343	+4.4%
2000	14,660	+2.2%
2010	13,609	−7.2%
2020	12,491	−8.2%

History

During the Edo period, the center of present-day Kanra was the jōkamachi of Obata Domain, a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate in Kōzuke Province. Obata village, Akihata village, Fukushima town, and Niiya village were created within Kitakanra District of Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. In 1925 Obata village was elevated in status into Obata town. In 1950 Kitakanra District was renamed Kanra District. Akihata village merged with Obata in 1955, and Fukushima and Niiya villages were into Obata on February 1, 1959, creating Kanra town.

Government

Kanra has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Kanra, together with the other municipalities in Kanra District contributes one member to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Gunma 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Kanra is heavily dependent on agriculture.

Education

Kanra has three public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

Jōshin Dentetsu - Jōshin Line

• Jōshū-Niiya - Jōshū-Fukushima

Highway

• Jōshin-etsu Expressway – Kanra PA
• National Route 254

Sister cities

• Certaldo, Italy, friendship city since 1984

Local attractions

• Rakusan-en gardens, National Place of Scenic Beauty.[4]

References

1. "Kanra Town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
2. Kanra climate data
3. Kanra population statistics
4. "楽山園". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 10 July 2020.

External links

Media related to Kanra, Gunma at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)