Shiogama 4.77

Shiogama is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of northern Japan., the city had an estimated population of 54,926 and a population density of 3162 persons per km² in 23,270 households. The total area the city was 17.37sqkm.GeographyShiogama is in north-central Miyagi Prefecture, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east.Neighboring municipalitiesMiyagi PrefectureTagajōRifuShichigahamaDemographicsPer Japanese census data, the population of Shiogama has remained fairly stable over the past 40 years.ClimateShiogama has a humid climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Shiogama is 12.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1225 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.8 °C.Etymology"Shiogama" means "salt furnace" and refers to a local Shinto ritual involving the making of salt from sea water, still performed every July. The name is sometimes written using the kanji 塩釜 rather than 塩竈 and both spellings are officially permitted. Both 釜 and 竈 are pronounced gama in compounds, but as lone words they are pronounced kama and kamado, respectively. A kamado (竈, "furnace") is a what a kama (釜, "kettle") is placed upon, and so the two are not completely interchangeable. 塩竈 is the form officially used by the city, but for ease of writing, the 10-stroke 釜 is often used in place of the 21-stroke 竈, such as in Shiogama Station.