Niihama
is a city located in the eastern part of Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 115,824 in 57781 households and a population density of 490 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It has the third largest population in Ehime, behind the prefectural capital of Matsuyama and the recently expanded city of Imabari. It is famous for its Besshi copper mine as well as the annual Niihama Taiko Festival (also known as "The Man Festival", otokomatsuri 男祭り) that is the center of annual drunken and boisterous activity and draws tourists from around the country. Geography Niihama is positioned in the north-center area of the island of Shikoku, in the eastern part of Ehime Prefecture. Niihama is enveloped by mountains to the south and east, hills to the west, and the Seto Inland Sea to the north. The Kokuryo River flows from the mountains to the Seto Inland Sea and divides the city into an areas east of the river (kawahigashi) and west of the river (kawanishi). Being surrounded by mountains, Niihama feels geographically isolated from its closest neighbors, Saijō to the west and Shikokuchūō to the east. The border with Kōchi Prefecture lies in the mountains far south of the center of town. The island of Ōshima, northeast of the main part of the city, also is part of Niihama. The largely mountainous village of Besshi joined the city of Niihama in 2003 greatly increasing the size of the city. Neighbouring municipalities Ehime Prefecture Saijō Shikokuchūō Kōchi Prefecture Ino Ōkawa Climate Niihama has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Niihama is 13.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1839 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 24.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.0 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Niihama has been decreased sightly since the 1980s. History Niihama is located in ancient Iyo Province and has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate, it was largely administered as part of Saijō Domain or Komatsu Domain. The Besshi Copper Mine was opened in 1744. The village of Niihama was established with the post-Meiji restoration creation of the modern municipalities system on December 15, 1889. It was raised to town status on January 1, 1908. On November 3, 1937 Niihama merged with the villages of Kaneko and Takatsu to form the city of Niihama. . Government Niihama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Niihama contributes four members to the Ehime Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ehime 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy The Besshi copper mine (once considered to be one of the most productive in the world) jump-started the Sumitomo zaibatsu.