Yōrō, Gifu

Yōrō 養老町
Town
Yōrō Town Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Yōrō in Gifu Prefecture
Yōrō
Coordinates: 35°18′30.3″N 136°33′41″E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Gifu
District	Yōrō
Government
• Mayor	Takashi Ōhashi
Area
• Total	72.29 km2 (27.91 sq mi)
Population  (April 1, 2018)
• Total	29,309
• Density	410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City symbols
- Tree	Buxus microphylla
- Flower	Chrysanthemum morifolium
Phone number	0584-32-1100
Address	Takada 798, Yōrō-chō, Yōrō-gun, Gifu-ken 503-1392
Website	Official website

Central Yōrō seen from Yōrō Mountains

Yōrō (養老町, Yōrō-chō) is a town located in Yōrō District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2018, the town had an estimated population of 29,309 in 10,356 households and a population density of 405 persons per km². The total area of the town was 72.29 square kilometres (27.91 sq mi).

Geography

Yōrō is located in south-west Gifu Prefecture, with the Yōrō Mountains to the west and the plains of the Ibi River to the east, The Makita River also flows through the town. The town has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Yōrō is 15.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1840 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.1 °C.

Neighbouring municipalities

• Gifu Prefecture
  • Ōgaki
  • Kaizu
  • Tarui
  • Wanouchi
• Mie Prefecture
  • Inabe

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yōrō peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1970	27,766	—
1980	31,371	+13.0%
1990	33,102	+5.5%
2000	33,256	+0.5%
2010	31,332	−5.8%
2020	26,882	−14.2%

History

The area around Yōrō was part of traditional Mino Province. With the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the town of Yōrō was established on April 1, 1897. Yōrō merged with the town of Takeda and villages of Hirohata, Kamitado, Ikebe, Kasago, Kobata, Tado, Hiyoshi and Aihara in 1954 to form the town of Yōrō. A referendum to merge into the city of Ōgaki was defeated in 2004.

Education

Yōrō has four public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Gifu Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

• Yōrō Railway Yōrō Line
  • Yōrō - Mino-Takada - Karasue

Highway

• Meishin Expressway
• Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway
• National Route 258

Sister cities

• Bad Soden, Hessen, Germany, since February 2004

Local attractions

• Kikusui-Sen spring
• Mount Yōrō
• Reversible Destiny-Yoro Park is a theme park in Yōrō described as "an 'experience park' conceived on the theme of encountering the unexpected. By guiding visitors through various unexpected experiences as they walk through its component areas, the Site offers them opportunities to rethink their physical and spiritual orientation to the world." The park was opened in October 1995. Designed by Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins.
• Tōkai Nature Trail
• Yōrō Falls
• Yōrō Temple

Local legends

• A local woodcutter discovered a stream that ran with fine sake. He filled a gourd and brought the liquid to his father. Drinking the liquid made his father feel youthful and turned his hair from gray to black. Empress Gensho of Nara visited Yōrō to try the liquid and it made her youthful, too.
• There is a persimmon tree that grows hair on the grounds of Fukugen-ji temple, because a murder victim is buried beneath the tree.

Gallery

• 
  Yoro artwork
• 
  Yōrō Falls

External links

• Media related to Yōrō, Gifu at Wikimedia Commons
• Yoro official website (in Japanese)
• "Color Yoro World" by Steven Kenworthy