Ogose, Saitama

Ogose
越生町
Ogose 越生町
Town
	Ogose town office
	Flag Seal
	Location of Ogose in Saitama Prefecture
	Ogose
	Coordinates: 35°57′52.2″N 139°17′39.1″E / 35.964500°N 139.294194°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Saitama
District	Iruma
Area
• Total	40.39 km2 (15.59 sq mi)
Population (January 2021)
• Total	11,352
• Density	280/km2 (730/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Prunus mume
- Flower	Kerria japonica
- Bird	Japanese bush warbler
Phone number	049-292-3121
Address	900-2 Ogose, Ogose-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama-ken 350-0494
Website	Official website

Ogose (越生町, Ogose-machi) is a town located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2021, the town had an estimated population of 11,352 in 5038 households and a population density of 280 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the town is 40.39 square kilometres (15.59 sq mi). The town is famous for its Prunus mume orchards.

Geography

Ogose is located in central Saitama Prefecture, approximately 50 kilometers from downtown Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities

Saitama Prefecture

Climate

Ogose has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ogose is 13.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1746 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.3 °C.^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Ogose peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1920	8,194	—
1930	8,219	+0.3%
1940	7,881	−4.1%
1950	10,061	+27.7%
1960	9,956	−1.0%
1970	10,147	+1.9%
1980	11,361	+12.0%
1990	11,947	+5.2%
2000	13,718	+14.8%
2010	12,537	−8.6%
2020	11,029	−12.0%

History

Ogose town was created within Iruma District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Ogose annexed neighboring Umezono village on February 1, 1955.

Government

Ogose has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Ogose, together with the towns of Hatoyama and Moroyama, contributes one member to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Saitama 9th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Ogose remains largely an agricultural town, primarily based on horticulture, although it has increasingly become a bedroom community.

Education

Ogose has two public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, there are two private high schools.