Murata, Miyagi

Murata 村田町
Town
Murata Town Office
Flag Seal
Location of Murata in Miyagi Prefecture
Murata
Coordinates: 38°07′08″N 140°43′16″E / 38.11889°N 140.72111°ECoordinates: 38°07′08″N 140°43′16″E / 38.11889°N 140.72111°E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Miyagi
District	Shibata
Area
• Total	78.38 km^2 (30.26 sq mi)
Population (September 2015)
• Total	11,366
• Density	145/km^2 (380/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
• Tree	Pine
• Flower	Osmanthus fragrans
• Bird	Green pheasant
Phone number	0224-83-2111
Address	Murata-machi, Shibata-gun, Miyagi-ken 989-1392
Website	Official website

Murata (村田町 Murata-machi) is a town located in Shibata District, Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of northern Japan. As of September 2015, the town had an estimated population of 11,366 and a population density of 145 persons per km². The total area was 78.38 square kilometres (30.26 sq mi).

Geography

Murata is located in south-central Miyagi Prefecture. The Shiroishi River runs through the town.

Neighboring municipalities

• Miyagi Prefecture
  • Sendai
  • Natori
  • Iwanuma
  • Ōgawara
  • Shibata
  • Kawasaki
  • Zaō

History

The area of present-day Murata was part of ancient Mutsu Province. The modern village of Murata was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system. It was promoted to town status on October 31, 1895. The town merged with the neighboring towns on Tomioka and Numabe on April 20, 1955.

Economy

The economy of Murata is largely based on agriculture.

Education

Murata has two elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

Transportation

Railway

• Murata does not have any passenger train service.

Highway

• Tōhoku Expressway: Murata IC, and Murata JCT (with Yamagata Expressway)
• National Route 4

Sister city relations

• - Buckley, Flintshire, Wales, United Kingdom,^[1]friendship city since 1989

References

1. "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.

External links

Media related to Murata, Miyagi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (Japanese)