Yonago (米子市, Yonago-shi) is a city in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 December 2021^[update], the city had an estimated population of 146,139 in 68534 households and a population density of 1100 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city is 132.42 square kilometres (51.13 sq mi). It is the prefecture's second largest city after Tottori, and forms a commercial center of the western part of this prefecture.

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Yonago 米子市
City
Top left: Statue of Station Square, Top right: Kaike Spa and Kaike Coast, 2nd left: Yonago Castle Site, 2nd right: Yonago Takashimaya, 3rd left: Mugibandai ruins in Yodoe, 3rd right: Yonago Station
Flag Seal
Location of Yonago in Tottori Prefecture
Yonago Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°26′N 133°20′E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku (San'in)
Prefecture	Tottori
Government
• Mayor	Takashi Igi (from April 2017)
Area
• Total	132.42 km2 (51.13 sq mi)
Population  (December 31, 2022)
• Total	146,139
• Density	1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	1-1 Kamo-chō, Yonago-shi, Tottori-ken 683-8686
Climate	Cfa
Website	Official website
Symbols
Bird	Tundra swan
Flower	Azalea

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Yonago is in far western Tottori Prefecture, and faces the Sea of Japan to the north and Lake Nakaumi to the northwest. It is adjacent to Shimane Prefecture and across the lake from its capital of Matsue. The city limits are mostly flat, and the Hino River flows through the Yonago Plain. The southern part is a hilly area at the foot of Mount Daisen, and the mountainous area can be seen from the Yumigahama Peninsula in the northwest. The irrigation canal "Yonekawa" runs from Yonago City to Sakaiminato City as an intake of water from the Hino River.

Tottori Prefecture

• Sakaiminato
• Daisen
• Nanbu
• Hōki
• Hiezu

Shimane Prefecture

• Yasugi

Yonago has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, with July and September being particularly wet months.

Per Japanese census data,^[4] the population of Yonago has been slowly growing since the 1950s as follows.

The name of Yonago in the Japanese language is formed from two kanji characters. The first, 米, means "rice", and the second, 子 means "child".

The area of Yonago was part of ancient Hōki Province. Per the Kojiki, the tomb of the creator kami Izanami is located on the border of Yonago with neighboring Izumo Province, and many Yayoi period and Kofun period remains have been found within city limits. In the early Edo Period, the Tokugawa Shogunate appointed Nakamura Kazutada to be daimyō of the 175,000 koku Yonago Domain, and re constructed Yonago Castle. The center of the modern city of Yonago evolved from the jōkamachi of that castle. After Nakamura died without heir, the domain was abolished and its territories incorporated into the holdings of the Ikeda clan of Tottori Domain. The Ikeda retained Yonago Castle and assigned it to their hereditary karō from the Arao clan who ruled until the Meiji restoration. The town of Yonago was established within Aioi District of Tottori Prefecture with the creation of the modern municipalities system in October 1889. A post offices founded in 1872, a prison in 1877, and a courthouse in 1884. Railway service was established in 1902.^[5] After becoming Saihaku County through county mergers, Yonago was raised to city status on April 1, 1927. Yonago absorbed the town of Yodoe (from Saihaku District) on March 31, 2005.^[5]

Yonago has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Yonago contributes nine members to the Tottori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tottori 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Over 70% of the Yonago workforce is employed in the service sector.^[5]

Oji Paper has a production facility in Yonago.^[6] The city is also home to Sharp Yonago, which produces Sharp-brand flat screen televisions.^[7]

Yonago has 23 public elementary schools and 11 public junior high schools operated by the town government and one private junior high school. The city has six public high schools operated by the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education and national public high school and five private high schools. Tottori University has a campus located in Yonago. The prefecture also operates three special education schools for the handicapped.

Yonago is twinned with:^[9]

• Baoding, China (1991)
• Sokcho, South Korea (1995)

• Sena Irie, Japanese boxer
• Maika Yamamoto, Japanese model and actress

• San'in Historical Museum
• Yonago Waterbirds Sanctuary
• Kotobuki Castle of Sweets, in the Yodoe area, is modeled after Yonago Castle
• Stone wall of Yonago Castle