is a city located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 32,019 in 15,467 households and a population density of 120 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Bizen is located in southeastern Okayama Prefecture. It faces the Seto Inland Sea to the south, and the coastline is intricate and forms part of the Setonaikai National Park. Katakami Bay extends into the center of the city. The Hinase area in the southeastern part of the country is dotted with islands. Overall, there are few flat areas and hilly areas, and about 80% of the city is forested. The Yoshinaga district in the northeastern part is a plateau area with an altitude of 300 to 500 meters. The southwestern edge of the city is the easternmost edge of the Okayama Plain, and the plain is slightly open, and the Yoshii River flows from the north to the south at the westernmost edge. Adjoining municipalities Okayama Prefecture Okayama Setouchi Akaiwa Mimasaka Wake Hyōgo Prefecture Ako Kamigōri Sayō Climate Bizen has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Bizen is 15.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1460 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 27.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.5 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Bizen has been declining for then past 60 years. History The Bizen area is part of ancient Bizen Province and has been famous for its Bizen ware pottery since the Kamakura period. During the Edo Period, it was part of the holdings of Okayama Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Imbe was established within Wake District, Okayama with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on April 1, 1912. On April 1, 1951, Imbe merged with the town of Kakakami to form the town of Bizen. On April 1, 1971, Bizen was raised to city status. On March 22, 2005, the towns of Hinase and Yoshinaga (both from Wake District) were merged into Bizen. ². Government Bizen has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 16 members. Bizen, collectively with the town of Wake, contributes two