Shōbara-shi

• Name — Shōbara • Settlement Type — City • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Japan • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — Chūgoku (San'yō) • Subdivision Type2 — Prefecture • Subdivision Name2 — Hiroshima • Subdivision Type3 — District • Established Title — First official recorded • Established Date — 507 AD（official confirmed） • Established Title2 — Town settled • Established Date2 — October 1, 1898 • Established Title3 — City settled • Established Date3 — March 31, 1954 • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Kyōsuke Hachitani (八谷恭介) - April 2025 • Leader Title1 — Vice Mayor • Unit Pref — Metric • Area Total Km2 — 1246.49 • Population Total — 32,343 • Population As Of — March 31, 2023 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Timezone1 — JST • Utc Offset1 — +09:00 • Blank Name Sec1 — City hall address • Blank Info Sec1 — 1-10-1 Nakamoto-chō, Shōbara-shi, Hiroshima-ken 727-8501 • Blank Name Sec2 — Climate • Blank Info Sec2 — Cfa • Website — www.city.shobara.hiroshima.jp • Illustration — Shōbara City Hall • Illustration — Bihoku-kyuryo Park • Illustration — Shobara city center area aerial photograph

Shōbara is located in the Chugoku Mountains in the northeast corner of Hiroshima Prefecture.

Hiroshima Prefecture • Fuchū • Jinsekikōgen • Miyoshi Okayama Prefecture • Niimi • Takahashi Shimane Prefecture • Okuizumo • Unnan Tottori Prefecture • Nichinan

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shōbara in 2020 is 33,633 people. Shōbara has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Shōbara has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) characterized by cool to mild winters and hot, humid summers. The average annual temperature in Shōbara is 12.7 C. The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.0 C, and lowest in January, at around 1.0 C. The highest temperature ever recorded in Shōbara was on 5 August 2021; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 26 February 1991.

The Shōbara area is part of ancient Bingo Province. During the Edo Period, it was part of the holdings of Hiroshima Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Shōbara was established within Mikami District, Hiroshima with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Mikami District became part of Hiba District, Hiroshima on October 1, 1898 at which time Shōbara was raised to town status. On March 31, 1954 Shōbara merged with the villages of Takamura, Honda, Shikinobu, Yamauchi-Higashi, Yamauchi-Nishi, and Yamauchi-Kita and was raised to city status. On March 31, 2005, the towns of Hiwa, Kuchiwa, Saijō, Takano, and Tōjō (all from Hiba District), and the town of Sōryō (from Kōnu District) were merged into Shōbara. Hiba District and Kōnu District were both dissolved as a result of this merger.

Shōbara has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Shōbara contributes one member to the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Hiroshima 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The main economic activities in Shōbara are agriculture, mining (kaolinite, limestone) and hydroelectric power generation.

Shōbara has 18 public elementary schools, and seven public junior high schools operated by the city government, and five public high school operated by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the disabled and one agricultural college. The Prefectural University of Hiroshima has a campus in Shōbara.

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