is a town located in Mikata District, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 12,814 in 4873 households and a population density of 53 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Shin'onsen is located in the north westernmost part of Hyōgo Prefecture and the Kinki region. It borders Tottori Prefecture in the west and faces the Sea of Japan in the north. It lies entirely within the San'in Kaigan Geopark. In addition, the mountainous area in the south is within the borders of the Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park and the Tajima Mountain Prefectural Natural Park. The Tajima Mihonoura coast is designated as a National Places of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument. The town spreads around the coast and rivers of the Kishida River system, and in the mountainous area in the south, there is Yumura Onsen. The area is part of the snow country and is characterized by heavy accumulations of snow in winter. Neighbouring municipalities Hyōgo Prefecture Kami Tottori Prefecture Iwami Tottori Wakasa Climate Shin'onsen has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shin'onsen is 12.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1841 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.8 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Shin'onsen peaked in the 1950s, and has been declining since. History The area of the modern town of Shin'onsen was within ancient Tajima Province, and corresponds almost directly to the area of ancient Futakata District. In the Edo Period, it was divided between an area was controlled by Toyooka Domain, and by tenryo territory under direct administration of the Tokugawa shogunate. Following the Meiji restoration, the villages of Onsen and Nishihama and were established within Mikata District with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On December 11, 1891 Nishihama was raised to town status and renamed Hamasaka. On October 1, 2005, Onsen and Hamasaka merger to form the town of Shin'onsen. Government Shin'onsen has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Shin'onsen, together with the town of Kami contributes one member to the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the