| Chūō | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | |
| Coordinates: | 35.5996°N 138.6339°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Chūbu (Tōkai) |
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture |
| Subdivision Name2: | Yamanashi Prefecture |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Area Total Km2: | 31.69 |
| Population Total: | 30660 |
| Population As Of: | October 1, 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | Japan Standard Time |
| Utc Offset1: | +9 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Phone number |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 055-274-1111 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Address |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | Usuiahara 301-1, Chūō City, Yamanashi 409-3892 |
is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 30,660 in 13,954 households,[1] and a population density of 970 persons per km². The total area of the city is 31.69sqkm.
Chūō is located near the geographic center of the Kōfu Plateau of central Yamanashi Prefecture, hence its name which means "centre" in Japanese. The Fuji River flows through the city.
Yamanashi Prefecture
The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Chūō is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1339 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.9 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Chūō has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.
The modern city of Chūō was established on February 20, 2006, from the merger of the towns of Tamaho and Tatomi (both from Nakakoma District), and the village of Toyotomi (from Higashiyatsushiro District).
Chūō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.
The economy of Chūō is dominated by agriculture, with rice, corn and tomatoes as the major cash crops.