is a city located in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 83,635 in 28876 households and a population density of 200 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Shikokuchūō is the leading producer of paper and paper products in Japan. It is also a port city and one of Ehime's major centers of industry. Geography Shikokuchūō is located in eastern Ehime Prefecture, with the Hoō Mountains to the south and the Gulf of Hiuchi of the Seto Inland Sea to the north. Because the plains are narrow, a local wind called "Yamaji" blows down from the mountains toward the sea. To the south of the Hoō Mountains, the Douzan River, one of the Yoshino River's tributaries, flows eastward, and further south are the Shikoku Mountains, which forms the border with Kōchi Prefecture. The Japan Median Tectonic Line runs east-west along the foot of the Hoō Mountains. The city is located 60 kilometers from Kōchi city, 70 kilometers from Takamatsu, 80 kilometers from Matsuyama, Ehime and 100 kilometers from Tokushima. Neighbouring municipalities Ehime Prefecture Niihama Kagawa Prefecture Kanonji Tokushima Prefecture Miyoshi Kōchi Prefecture Ōkawa Tosa town Ōtoyo Motoyama Climate Shikokuchūō has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shikokuchūō is 12.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2030 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around 23.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.3 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Shikokuchūō has been decreased slightly since the 1960s. History The area of Shikokuchūō was part of ancient Iyo Province. Ruins found within the city limits suggest that the area was first inhabited more than 12,000 years ago. People first lived in the hilly areas along the Kinugawa River, and then spread to the coastal plains from the Jomon period to the Yayoi period. In the middle of the Kofun period, Toguyama Kofun, which is said to be the tomb of Prince Kinashi Karu, was constructed. In the late Kofun period, in the 6th century, burial mounds began to be built in hilly areas. In the first half of the 7th century, the Umamukaiyama Kofun, which has one of the largest stone burial chambers in Shikoku, was built. After the Nara period Taika Reforms, this area