Shirakawa, Japan
白河市
Shirakawa is a town of 59,491 people in Fukushima, Japan, founded in April 1, 1949.
Why visit Shirakawa
Townapedia lists 47 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 151 places to eat, 14 places to stay and 25 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include 武鉾山, Izumizaki Cave Tomb, Shirakawa Kanga ruins and Nanko Park.
Weather in Shirakawa
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Shirakawa
Shirakawa (白河市, Shirakawa-shi) is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2020, the city had an estimated population of 59,393 in 23,546 households and a population density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the city was 305.3 square kilometres (117.9 sq mi).
From the Wikipedia article Shirakawa, Fukushima (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Shirakawa on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do25
13 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks47
Izumizaki Cave Tomb
Monument and historic site · 6.1 km
Archaeological site
Shirakawa Kanga ruins
Monument and historic site · 4.4 km
Archaeological site in Japan
35 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
大池公園
Park · 12.5 km
大池公園は矢吹町の北部に位置しており、「水・花・緑が香る公園」をテーマに、池と町木のアカマツの生い茂る自然空間を活かし、町民、近隣市町村の人々のやすらぎと憩いの場とするため、昭和59年より事業着手し平成16年度完成しました
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes151
139 more on the map.
History
The area of present-day Shirakawa was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was the location of a barrier gate on the Ōshū Kaidō connecting the capital at Kyoto with the northern provinces. In the Heian period, the Buddhist monk and waka poet Nōin composed the following poem about the region:
Miyako wo ba kasumi to tomo ni tachishikado akikaze zo fuku Shirakawa no seki.
(English: I left the capital with the spring haze, but at the barrier of Shirakawa the autumn wind blows.)
In the Edo period the area prospered as the castle town of the Shirakawa Domain and was the site of a major battle in the Boshin War during the Meiji restoration. In the Meiji period, it was organized as part of the Nakadōri region of Iwaki Province.
The town of Shirakawa was formed on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. On April 1, 1949, Shirakawa was elevated to city status after merging with the neighboring village of Ōnuma. Subsequent mergers occurred in 1954 and 1955 with the inclusion of the villages of Shirasaka, Odagawa, Goka and a portion of Omotegō into the territory of Shirakawa. On November 7, 2005, the villages of Taishin, Higashi, and the remainder of Omotegō (all from Nishishirakawa District) were merged into Shirakawa, increasing its population from 48,297 to approximately 66,000 and territory from 117.67 km2 (45.43 sq mi) to 305.30 km2 (117.88 sq mi).
From the History section of Shirakawa, Fukushima on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay14
Churches and places of worship20
Shopping24
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries26
Healthcare18
Map of Shirakawa
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Fukushima Airport (FKS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 km away.
- Yabuki 10 km northeast, about 10 min by car
- Tanagura 15 km southeast, about 15 min by car
- Ishikawa 17 km east, about 17 min by car
- Sukagawa 21 km northeast, about 21 min by car
- Nasushiobara 24 km southwest, about 24 min by car
- Kōriyama 33 km north, about 33 min by car
- Miharu 40 km northeast, about 40 min by car
- Daigo 40 km south, about 40 min by car
- Motomiya 46 km north, about 46 min by car
- Tamura 46 km northeast, about 46 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Izumida, Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture 961-0003, Japan - panoramio, MAKIKO OMOKAWA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shirakawakomine castle tensyu3, Sengoku40, CC BY-SA 3.0
- JREast-Tohoku-main-line-Shirakawa-station-building-20151014-103952, LERK, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shirakawakomine castle ishigaki, Sengoku40, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Izumizaki Yokoana, 聖石大戦ぶぅぶぅ, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shirakawa nanko, 羽吹舞, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shirakawa Komine Castle 20100625-01, baku13, CC BY-SA 2.1 jp
- Nanko shrine, 立志堂, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shirakawa Asahi High School, Abasaa, Public domain
- Shirakawa Jitsugyo High School, Abasaa, Public domain
- 白河高校校舎, 黒い人, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Takehokoyama, Zeter114514, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yabuki Junior High School 2, Proshikok, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sekiwaku Kanga Site, gaikan, Saigen Jiro, CC0
- Nakahata Elementary School 1, Proshikok, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shimofusazuka Kofun, funkyu, Saigen Jiro, CC0
- Kariyado Haiji, gaikan, Saigen Jiro, CC0
- JREast-Tohoku-main-line-Kutano-station-entrance-20151014-093608, LERK, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 角折神社 - panoramio, Duff Figgy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 下総塚古墳 - panoramio, Duff Figgy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 白川城跡 - panoramio (1), officeshema, CC BY 3.0
- 白川城跡 - panoramio, officeshema, CC BY 3.0
- 借宿廃寺跡 - panoramio, Duff Figgy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 借宿の洋館 - panoramio, Duff Figgy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 白河バブテスト教会 - panoramio, officeshema, CC BY 3.0
- 茶釜食堂年貢町店 - panoramio, くろふね, CC BY 3.0
- 味の店田中屋 - panoramio, くろふね, CC BY 3.0
- 南湖公園「花月」 - panoramio (1), CyberOyaji, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 南湖公園「花月」 - panoramio, CyberOyaji, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 南湖神社 - panoramio, CyberOyaji, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frozen Nanko - panoramio, Ryusuke Seto, CC BY 3.0
- Ｒakuo image in front of a nanko shrine, 立志堂, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 松平定信（楽翁公）像 - panoramio, Duff Figgy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nanko-kouen(park) Reflection 反映(はんえい), TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋), CC BY 2.0
- 南湖公園 - panoramio, Duff Figgy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 南湖公園 - panoramio (1), CyberOyaji, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nanko Park - panoramio - Fumihiko Ueno, Fumihiko Ueno, CC BY 3.0
- ISS009-E-11504 - View of Japan, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- The statue of Matsudaira Sadanobu, the founder of Nanko park - panoramio, MAKIKO OMOKAWA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Golf Club - panoramio, Fumihiko Ueno, CC BY 3.0
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