is a city located in of Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 31,385 in 15638 households and a population density of 240 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Yawatahama is located in the western part of Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, at the base of the Sadamisaki Peninsula. It faces the Seto Inland Sea to the north, and faces Kyushu to the west across the Bungo Channel. The coastline is a ria coastline, with steep slopes, creating a scenic landscape where capes and coves intersect. For a long time, the city's naturally good harbor has served as an important one for Ehime Prefecture and Shikoku. Flat land is exceedingly sparse and the hilly terrain has been used for citrus production. Neighbouring municipalities Ehime Prefecture Ōzu Ikata Seiyo Climate Yawatahama has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yawatahama is 15.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1644 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 26.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.1 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Yawatahama has been decreasing steadily since the 1950s. History The area of Yawatahama was part of ancient Iyo Province, and its name appears in early Nara period documents]]. According to legend, the name "Yawatahama" (八幡浜) comes from long ago when debris from a festival at the Usa Hachiman shrine (八幡) in Usa, Ōita, floated up on the beach (浜) in what is now Yawatahama. In the Edo Period, the area was part of the holding of the Date clan of Uwajima Domain. After the Meiji restoration, the town of Yawatahama was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. However, even before that time, Yawatahama was linked to Osaka and Oita via steamships and the area was referred to as the "Manchester of Shikoku" due to rapidly increasing industrialization. The first bank in Ehime was opened in Yawatahama in 1878. In addition, in 1889, Yawatahama was the first city in Shikoku to burn an electric light. Town mergers February 11, 1935 - Yawatahama combined with Senjo, Hitada, and Kamiyama and was elevated to city status. February 1, 1955 - A locality of Futaiwa, as well as