Shirakawa, Gifu (town)

This article is about the town. For the village, see Shirakawa, Gifu (village).

Shirakawa 白川町
Town
Flag of Shirakawa Flag
Location of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture Location of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture
Shirakawa Location in Japan
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Gifu Prefecture
District	Kamo
Government
• Mayor	Yoshihiro Imai
Area
• Total	237.89 km2 (91.85 sq mi)
Population (July 2011)
• Total	9,342
• Density	39/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address	Kawamata 715, Shirakawa-chō, Kamo-gun, Gifu-ken 509-1192
Website	www.town.shirakawa.lg.jp

Shirakawa (白川町, Shirakawa-chō) is a town located in Kamo District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

As of July 2011, the town has an estimated population of 9,342 and the total area is 237.89 km².

Shirakawa-chou is located in the Chuno region of Gifu Prefecture. Famous primarily for the locally grown green tea, Shirakawa also boasts a maker of Pipe organs, who apparently produced the organ used at McGill University. The town is affiliated with Pistoia, Italy, which is the reason behind the Italian origins of the names of several stores.

Geography

Shirakawa is in the lower reaches of the Japanese Alps. It lies nestled in valleys formed by several rivers, which combine to form the Shirakawa river at one end of the town. The rivers, though substantially developed and altered, remain a source of Ayu, a sweet river fish. The low mountains surrounding the town are heavily forested, primarily with evergreen trees. Japanese Macaques, bears, and wild boar are known to live in the local forests.

Transportation

Rail

• JR Central
  • Takayama Main Line - Shirakawaguchi, Shimoyui

Sister cities

• Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy (est. October 30, 1994)

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Shirakawa official website (Japanese)