Ōizumi, Gunma

Ōizumi (大泉町, Ōizumi-machi) is a town located in Ōra District, Gunma Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of February 2015, the town had an estimated population of 39,996 and a population density of 2220 persons per km². Its total area was 18.03 km². Approximately 10% of the total population are foreign citizens, mostly Japanese Brazilians, who work at many factories in the town. Since 1990, Japanese descendants from foreign countries have been permitted to stay in Japan freely. It is estimated that 15% of the population speak Portuguese as their native language, and as of 2007 Ōizumi has the highest concentration of Brazilians of any city in Japan.

Geography

Ōizumi is located in the extreme southern corner Gunma prefecture, bordered by Saitama Prefecture to the south.

Surrounding municipalities

History

The villages of Ōkawa and Koizumi were created within Ōra District, Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. Koizumi was elevated to town status on July 25, 1902. On March 31, 1957 Koizumi merged with the village of Ōkawa and was renamed Ōizumi. Plans to merge with neighboring Chiyoda in 2004 and with Ōta in 2008 were rejected by the local town assembly.