) is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 197,215 in 83,580 households and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Itami is located in south-eastern Hyōgo Prefecture, with the Ina River to the east and the Muko River to the west. The city area is a flat, undulating gentle terrain throughout. JR West Japan JR Takarazuka Line (also known as the Fukuchiyama Line) and Hankyū Itami Line traverse north and south. It is roughly from Osaka and contacts Kawanishi in the north, Takarazuka in the northwest, Nishinomiya and Amagasaki in the southwest, and Ikeda and Toyonaka in the east. In Hyōgo prefecture, the population density is the second highest following Amagasaki in the south. Neighboring municipalities Hyōgo Prefecture Amagasaki Nishinomiya Takarazuka Kawanishi Osaka Prefecture Ikeda Toyonaka Climate Itami has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Itami is 15.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1475 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 26.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Itami has been increasing steadily since the 1950s. History The area of modern Itami is part of ancient Settsu Province and the hilly area is called the Itami plateau, between the Ina River and the Muko River have been continuously inhabited since the Japanese Paleolithic period. Stone tools, Jomon pottery and Yayoi pottery and settlement traces have been found in several areas within the city limits, and rice cultivation was done in the area from ancient times. The area also has many kofun burial mounds, including the () and , which were built during the Kofun period. The names 'Inano', 'Inabe' and 'Ina Prefecture', all of appear to be variants of 'Itami' appear in the Nihon Shoki and in waka poems from the Naraand Heian periods. In the northern part of the city, the Itami temple ruins date from between the Nara period to the Kamakura period. The center of Itami became a wealthy castle town by the middle of Sengoku period with the construction of Arioka Castle, held by Araki Murashige ruled under Oda Nobunaga. After the uprising and defeat of Araki, the castle was torn down. During