Suzu is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 14,716 in 6231 households, and a population density of 60.0 persons per km², in 29,304 households. The total area of the city was.
Etymology
Suzu is thought to have been named after Suzu Shrine, an ancient Shinto shrine located in the Awazu area of the city. The name "Suzu" appears in Nara period records; however, the kanji for Suzu is not thought to have been in use until the early Wadō era. There is also the theory that the name originates from the Ainu language, as with several other place names in the Noto area.
Per Japanese census data, the population of Suzu has declined over the past 40 years.
Census Year
Population
1970
29,224
1980
27,351
1990
23,471
2000
19,852
2010
16,300
Climate
Suzu has a humid subtropical climate characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Suzu is 13.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2234 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 2.4 °C.
History
In ancient times, Suzu prospered as a gateway for trade by sea, establishing connections with places such as Izumo, Sado and Ezo. In turn, Suzu was introduced to ironware culture from a considerably early period in the Izumo era, and even gained crucial agricultural influence and knowledge to develop an agricultural society. In fact, it is thought that such ancient Noto culture originated and spread outwards from the tip of the Noto Peninsula. In the second year of the Yōrō, Noto Province consisting of the 4 districts of Suzu, Fugeshi, Hakui and Noto was established. For a short period of time, the land was claimed as part of Etchū Province. During this period the famous Ōtomo no Yakamochi recited a poem about the picturesque scenery of Suzu Bay, which would later be included in the famous poetry anthologyMan'yōshū. Later in the Kōji period, Noto Provincial Governor Minamoto no Toshikane established Wakayama shōen which grew to become the largest estate in Noto, expanding territory to take over the majority of land in Suzu. Around this time, production of Suzu ware began, which was exported as far as Hokkaido. The area was also noted from ancient times for the production of salt. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested between the Hatakeyama clan, Uesugi clan and Maeda clan, with the area becoming part of Kaga Domain under the Edo-periodTokugawa shogunate. Following the Meiji Restoration, the area was organised into one town and 14 villages in 1889. These municipalities merged on 15 July 1954 to form the city of Suzu.
Ceramics: Portable stoves called shichirin and Suzu ware are the chief ceramic goods produced in the city. Also, diatomaceous earth is found almost anywhere within the city limits, and it has been used for ceramics since the Edo period.
Salt: Salt is still manufactured traditionally with evaporation ponds, particularly through the Agehama method of artificially flooded saltpans
Sake: There are several sake producers in the area, including the Sougen Sake Brewery
More recently, Suzu has become known for its production of specialized charcoal for use in the Japanese tea ceremony.
