Murayama, Yamagata
is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 23,643 in 8133 households, and a population density of 120 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Murayama is located in northeast Yamagata Prefecture, in a river valley of the Mogami River, with branches of the Ōu Mountains to the east and west. Neighboring municipalities Yamagata Prefecture Sagae Higashine Obanazawa Kahoku Ōishida Ōkura Funagata Climate Murayama has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) 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 Murayama is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Murayama has declined steadily over the past 70 years and is now less than it was a century ago. History The area of present-day Murayama was part of ancient Dewa Province. After the start of the Meiji