Yoshino is located in the central part of Nara Prefecture. The Ryumon Mountains run east-to-west in the north, and the Omine Mountain Range (Mount Aonega is the highest point within the town area) spread out to the south. The mountains that extend from the Daidaka Mountains also are to the east. Between these, the Yoshino River flows from southeast-to-west through the center of the town, and the Takami River flows from east-to-west.
The Yoshino River meanders left and right from the upstream (Kawakami Village) to the area where the Tsuburo River flows into it, weaving its way through the mountains. Along the way, the Takami River joins it near Shinko and Kubogainai. After crossing Imoyama and Seyama, near Yoshino High School, it makes a large left turn and continues downstream (Oyodo Town) in a relatively straight line. Inside the meandering Yoshino River, there is a long and narrow stretch of relatively flat land, forming settlements. There is also relatively open land near the middle reaches of the tributaries of the Yoshino River, where settlements have formed. The Kamiichi district, where the town hall is located, is densely packed with houses in the small space between the river and the mountains.
Yoshino has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yoshino is 13.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1893 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.4 °C.[3]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Yoshino is as shown below
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1940
16,289
—
1950
20,186
+23.9%
1960
18,782
−7.0%
1970
16,419
−12.6%
1980
15,182
−7.5%
1990
13,421
−11.6%
2000
11,318
−15.7%
2010
8,642
−23.6%
2020
6,229
−27.9%
History
The area of Yoshino was part of ancient Yamato Province. The Kojiki and Nihon Shoki mention this place as a stopover on the eastward journey of Emperor Jimmu to conquer Yamato. During the Asuka period, due to its location directly south of the ancient imperial capitals of Asuka-kyō, Fujiwara-kyō, and Heijō-kyō, this area was a popular recreational spot for Emperor Ojin and other emperors and aristocrats, and Yoshino Palace, was located in this area. During the Nara period, the area was sacred for adherents of Shugendo. It was the capital of the Southern Court in the Nanboku-chō period. After the Meiji restoration, the villages of Yoshino was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Yoshino was raised to town status on April 24, 1928. On May 3, 1956, Yoshino annexed the town of Kamiichi, and villages of Kokusui, Nakasho, Ryumon, and Nakaryumon.
Government
Yoshino has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of ten members. Yoshino, collectively with the other municipalities of Yoshino District, contributes two members to the Nara Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Nara 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The economy of Yoshino is based on forestry, sake brewing and the tourist industry.
Lumber
The town of Yoshino produces a wide variety of wood-based goods made from lumber harvested from the local forest land. Most of the forest within the Yoshino area is artificial, consisting of red cedar and cypress trees that have been planted and harvested in cycles for 500 years.[4] The Yoshino River served in past times as a means of transportation for the lumber harvested in the region.
Paper
The Kuzu district of Yoshino has a long history of traditional Japanese washi paper production. According to a local story, Prince Oama (later to become Emperor Tenmu), taught the residents of Kuzu the process of making washi in the 7th century.[5]
Education
Yoshino has one public elementary school and one public junior high school operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Nara Prefectural Board of Education.
The most well-known area within the town is Yoshino Mountain, famous for its many thousands of sakura trees; much poetry has been written on the subject by several famous authors, including Chiyo and Uejima Onitsura.[6] These flowering cherry trees were planted in four groves at different altitudes, in part so that the trees would be visible coming into bloom at different times in the spring. An account of Yoshino written in about 1714 explained that, on their climb to the top, travelers would be able to enjoy the lower 1,000 cherry trees at the base, the middle 1,000 on the way, the upper 1,000 toward the top, and the 1,000 in the precincts of the inner shrine at the top.[7]
^吉野中央森林組合. 吉野中央森林組合 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
^国栖の里観光協会トップページ. 国栖の里観光協会 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
^Gill, Robin (2006). Cherry Blossom Epiphany: The Poetry and Philosophy of a Flowering Tree (1st ed.). Paraverse Press. pp. 632–678 of 740. ISBN0974261866.
