Ōmachi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ōmachi is 16.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1864 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.2 °C.[4]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Ōmachi is as shown below. [5]
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1940
20,938
—
1950
23,276
+11.2%
1960
20,427
−12.2%
1970
10,649
−47.9%
1980
9,776
−8.2%
1990
9,239
−5.5%
2000
8,503
−8.0%
2010
7,364
−13.4%
2020
6,293
−14.5%
History
The area of Ōmachi is part of ancient Hizen Province. During the Edo period it was part of the holdings of Saga Domain until the Meiji restoration. The village of Ōmachi was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. Ōmachi was elevated to town status on January 1, 1936.
Government
Ōmachi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of eight members. Ōmachi, together with the other municipalities in Kishima District contributes two members to the Saga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Saga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The main industries are agriculture (rice, wheat, cucumbers, strawberries, etc.) and livestock (chicken farming). The town once prospered as a coal-producing area due to the Kishima coal mine, but it closed in the 1960s due to changes in the energy situation.
Education
Ōmachi has one public combined elementary/junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Saga Prefectural Board of Education.