Tonami (砺波市, Tonami-shi) is a city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 March 2018^[update], the city had an estimated population of 48,659 in 16,739 households ^[1] and a population density of 384 persons per km². Its total area was 127.03 square kilometres (49.05 sq mi).^[2]

Quick Facts 砺波市, Country ...

Tonami 砺波市
City
Tonami City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Tonami in Toyama Prefecture
Tonami
Coordinates: 36°38′51″N 136°57′44″E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Toyama
Government
• - Mayor	Osamu Natsuno (since November 2012)
Area
• Total	127.03 km2 (49.05 sq mi)
Population  (March 31, 2018)
• Total	48,659
• Density	380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0763-33-1111
Address	7-3 Sakae, Tonami-shi, Toyama-ken 939-1398
Climate	Cfa
Website	www.city.tonami.toyama.jp
Symbols
Bird	Brown-eared bulbul
Flower	Tulip
Tree	Cryptomeria

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Tonami is located in the Tonami plains of western Toyama Prefecture. Much of the area is a dispersed settlement typical of this region of Japan.

Per Japanese census data,^[6] the population of Tonami has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

The area of present-day Tonami was part of ancient Etchū Province, and was part of the holdings of Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The town of Tonami was founded on April 1, 1952 by the merger of the town of Demachi with the villages of Gokaya, Aburaden, Shoge, Nakamura and Hayashi. The villages of Aoshima and Ogami joined two months later on June 1, 1952. The villages of Ota, Minamihannya, Higachi-Nojiri, Yanaze and Nishi-Tonami were annexed on January 15, 1954, followed by Sendan, Sendanyama, Hannya, and Higashi-Hannya on March 1. The expanded town of Tonami was raised to city status on April 1, 1954. On November 1, 2004, the town of Shōgawa (from Higashitonami District) was merged into Tonami.

Tonami has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

Tonami has eight public elementary schools and four public junior high schools operated by the town government, and two public high schools operated by the Toyama Prefectural Board of Education.^{[citation needed]}

• - Lisse, Netherlands,^[7] sister city since April 21, 1992
• – Panjin, Liaoning, China,^[7] friendship city since April 25, 1991
• – Yalova, Turkey,^[7] friendship city since October 3, 1989

• Masuyama Castle, ruins of a Sengoku period castle and National Historic Site.^[8] It was also known as Wada Castle (和田城, Wada-jō)
• Yotaka festival, held in June, with many parade floats which purposely collide during the festival, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle. The Yotaka festival event originally began in the neighboring town of Fukuno. It features competitions between groups carrying mikoshi portable shrines. "Yoiyasa" is a traditional saying shouted by many during the event. When it is night, lamps using paper shades are lit. This festival is a prayer for a good harvest of the fields.
• There is a tulip park in Tonami, as well as a nationally recognized tulip festival that is held every year. There is a windmill transferred by the Netherlands, inscribed "DE VRIENDSCHAP" (friendship). The Tonami tulip festival has over 600 different kinds of tulips, and more than 2.5 million tulips in recent years.^[9]