Shirakawa - Shirakawa-shi 4.88

Shirakawa is a city located in Fukushima Prefecture, in northern Honshū, Japan. As of November 2014, the city had an estimated population of 62,688 and a population density of 205 persons per km2. The total area was 305.3km2.GeographyShirakawa is located in southern Fukushima prefecture. Rivers: Abukuma RiverNeighboring municipalities Fukushima Prefecture Nishigō Izumizaki Nakajima Yabuki Tanagura Ishikawa Asakawa Ten'ei NasuClimateShirakawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from May to October.HistoryThe area of present-day Shirakawa was part of ancient Mutsu Province and was the location of a barrier gate on the Oshu kaido 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: