is a town located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,122 in 3030 households and a population density of 160 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Shibayama is located in northeastern Chiba Prefecture, about 30 kilometers from the prefectural capital at Chiba and 50 to 60 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The town is a hilly area, located almost in the center of the Shimōsa Plateau. Narita International Airport is located to the north of the town on the border between Shibayama and Narita. Most airport service facilities are located on the Narita side: however, Shibayama has developed a local industrial base due to the airport's presence, and hosts three major industrial areas. The remainder of the town is agricultural, and much of it is covered with rice paddies and areas of vegetable production. As it lies directly beneath one of the main approach paths to the airport, noise pollution and eminent domain issues have caused it to be a center of anti-airport activism. Surrounding Municipalities Chiba Prefecture Narita Tomisato Sanmu Yokoshibahikari Tako Climate Shibayama has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shibayama is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1517 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.7 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Shibayama peaked around the 1950 and has declined by roughly one-third in the decades since. History Shibayama Town was established on July 1, 1955 by the merger of the villages of Chiyoda and Nikawa. Government Shibayama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Shibayama, together with neighboring Sanmu and the other municipalities of Sanmu District collectively contributes two members to the Chiba Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Chiba 11th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy In 2007 Nippon Cargo Airlines signed an order with Taisei Corporation for the construction of a crew training center. Construction on the crew center, located in Shibayama, was to begin in September 2007. The company scheduled for the facility to become operational in September