is a town located in Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 14,508 in 5471 households and a population density of 210 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography Hokuei is located in central Tottori Prefecture, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the north. It is designated as a heavy snowfall area. The rivers consist of the Yura River, which flows through the center of the town, and the Tenjin River, which flows through the eastern edge, forming a lowland delta called the Hojo Plain. Hojo sand dunes are located on the coastline. Neighboring municipalities Tottori Prefecture Yurihama Kurayoshi Kotoura Climate Hokuei is classified as a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hokuei is 14.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2097 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.5 °C. Demography Per Japanese census data, the population of Hokuei has been as follows. History As with all of Hōki Province, the area was part of the holdings of a branch of the Ikeda clan, daimyō of Tottori Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. In 1719, the Ikeda clan developed the a settlement at the mouth of he Yura River as a port and administrative center for collection of taxes. In 1863, this port was fortified with coastal artillery as part of the domain's increased defenses against the possibility of foreign invasion. Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organized into villages within Tōhaku District, Tottori Prefecture on April 1, 1896. Hokuei was created on October 1, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Hōjō and Daiei, both from Tōhaku District. Government Hokuei has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 15 members. Hokuei, collectively with the other municipalities of Tōhaku District, contributes three members to the Tottori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tottori 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy The economy of Hokuei is based agriculture and commercial fishing. Its main agricultural products are watermelon, nagaimo, tobacco, rakkyō, grapes and wine. The town has nine wind turbines along the coast. Education