Kunohe, Iwate

Kunohe is located in north-central Iwate Prefecture, within the Kitakami Mountains, in the river valley of the Niida River. Over 70 percent of the village area is covered by mountains and forests. Portions of the village are within the borders of the Oritsume Basenkyō Prefectural Natural Park. Neighboring municipalities Iwate Prefecture • Ninohe • Karumai • Kuzumaki • Ichinohe • Kuji Climate Kunohe has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa ) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kunohe is 8.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1280 mm with September as the wettest month and February as the driest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around -3.2 °C. ==Demographics==

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kunohe peaked around the year 1960 and has declined steadily over the past 60 years. ==History==

The area of present-day Kunohe was part of ancient Mutsu Province, dominated by the Nambu clan from the Muromachi period, and part of Hachinohe Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. During the early Meiji period, the villages of Toda, Ibonai and Esashika were created within Kita-Kunohe District on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Kita-Kunohe District and Minami-Kunohe Districts merged to form Kunohe District on April 1, 1897. The three villages merged to form the modern village of Kunohe on April 1, 1955. ==Economy==

The economy of Kunohe is based on agriculture, the production of charcoal and animal husbandry, primarily poultry. The village is famous for its production of amacha. ==Government==

Kunohe has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral village council of 12 members. Ichinohe, and the city of Ninohe together contribute two seats to the Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the village is part of Iwate 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. ==Education==

Kunohe has five public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the village government. There is one public high school operated by the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education. ==Transportation==

Railway Kunohe does not have any passenger train service. Highway • – Kunohe Interchange • ==References==