| Shōnai | |||
| Native Name Lang: | ja | ||
| Settlement Type: | Town | ||
| Pushpin Map: | Japan | ||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | |||
| Coordinates: | 38.8499°N 139.9047°W | ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Name: | Japan | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Subdivision Name1: | Tōhoku | ||
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture | ||
| Subdivision Name2: | Yamagata | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Subdivision Name3: | Higashitagawa | ||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||
| Area Total Km2: | 249.17 | ||
| Population Total: | 20940 | ||
| Population As Of: | February 2020 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||
| Timezone1: | Japan Standard Time | ||
| Utc Offset1: | +9 | ||
| Blank Name Sec1: | Phone number | ||
| Blank Info Sec1: | 0234-43-2211 | ||
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Address | ||
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | 132-1 Amarume-cho, Shōnai-machi, Higashitagawa-gun, Yamagata-ken 999-7781 | ||
| Blank Name Sec2: | Climate | ||
| Blank Info Sec2: | Cfa | ||
| Module: |
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is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan., the town has an estimated population of 20,940 in 7108 households,[1] and a population density of 87.5 per km². The total area of the town is 249.17km².
Shōnai is located in the coastal plains of north-central Yamagata Prefecture. The Mogami River flows through the town. Mount Gassan, the highest of the Three Mountains of Dewa is at the intersection of the borders of Shōnai, Tsuruoka, Ōkura and Nishikawa.
Shōnai has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Shōnai is . The average annual rainfall is with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around .
Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Shōnai peaked around 1950 and has declined gradually since then. It is now less than it was a hundred years ago.
The area of present-day Shōnai was part of ancient Dewa Province. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Higashitagawa District, Yamagata Prefecture. The town of Amarume was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system, and the town of Karikawa on April 1, 1937. Karikawa merged with the neighboring villages of Kiyokawa and Tachiyazawa on October 1, 1954, and was renamed Tachikawa. On July 1, 2005, the towns of Tachikawa and Amarume merged to form the new town of Shōnai.
The economy of Shōnai is based on agriculture.
Shōnai has five public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education.
East Japan Railway Company - Uetsu Main Line
East Japan Railway Company - Rikuu West Line
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan.