is a city located in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 70,972 in 35076 households and a population density of 69 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Tanabe is the second largest city in Wakayama in terms of population, and the largest in the Kansai region of Japan in terms of area. Geography Tanabe is located the south-central Kii Peninsula and faces to the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Kii Mountains to the north and east. The coastline is intricate and forms Tanabe Bay. Tenjinzaki is at the northern end of the bay, and Shirahama is on the south side. The climate is moderated by the effects of the Kuroshio Current offshore. Neighboring municipalities Wakayama Prefecture Shingū Minabe Inami Hidakagawa Shirahama Kamitonda Aridagawa Kozagawa Nara Prefecture Totsukawa Nosegawa Climate Tanabe has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tanabe is 16.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2348 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 6.9 °C. The area is subject to typhoons in summer. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Tanabe has decreased steadily over the past 40 years. History The area of the modern city of Tanabe was within ancient Kii Province. During the late Heian period to early Kamakura period, it was noted as the birthplace of Minamoto no Yoshitsune's companion, Benkei. During the Edo period, it was part of the holdings of Kishū Domain ruled by a cadet branch of the Tokugawa clan through a hereditary karō based at Tanabe Castle. The town of Tanabe was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It merged with the neighboring town of Haya and attained city status on May 20, 1942. Tanabe continued to expand through annexation of neighboring municipalities: the villages of Inari, Shimaakizu, Maro in 1950, Shinjo in 1954, Nishi-Tonda in 1955, and the town of Muro in 1958. On May 1, 2005, the village of Ryūjin, (from Hidaka District), the town of Nakahechi, the village of Ōtō (both from Nishimuro District), and the town of Hongū (from Higashimuro District) were merged into Tanabe. Government Tanabe has a mayor-council form of government