is a city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in northeastern corner of Hiroshima

Hiroshima Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The city was founded on March 31, 1954.

On March 31, 2005 the towns of Hiwa

Hiwa, Hiroshima

was a town located in Hiba District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 31, 2005 Hiwa, along with the towns of Kuchiwa, Saijō, Takano and Tōjō, all from Hiba District, and the town of Sōryō, from Kōnu District, was merged into the expanded city of Shōbara....

, Kuchiwa

Kuchiwa, Hiroshima

was a town located in Hiba District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 31, 2005 Kuchiwa, along with the towns of Hiwa, Saijō, Takano and Tōjō, all from Hiba District, and the town of Sōryō, from Kōnu District, was merged into the expanded city of Shōbara....

, Saijō

Saijo, Hiroshima

was a town located in Hiba District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 31, 2005 Saijō, along with the towns of Hiwa, Kuchiwa, Takano and Tōjō, all from Hiba District, and the town of Sōryō, from Kōnu District, was merged into the expanded city of Shōbara....

, Takano

Takano, Hiroshima

was a town located in Hiba District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 31, 2005 Takano, along with the towns of Hiwa, Kuchiwa, Saijō and Tōjō, all from Hiba District, and the town of Sōryō, from Kōnu District, was merged into the expanded city of Shōbara....

, and Tōjō

Tojo, Hiroshima

was a town located in Hiba District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 31, 2005 Tōjō, along with the towns of Hiwa, Kuchiwa, Saijō and Takano, all from Hiba District, and the town of Sōryō, from Kōnu District, was merged into the expanded city of Shōbara....

, all from Hiba District

Hiba District, Hiroshima

was a district located in Hiroshima, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 21,448 and a density of 23.00 persons per km². The total area was 932.44 km².-Former towns and villages:...

 (dissolved by this action), and the town of Sōryō

Soryo, Hiroshima

was a town located in Kōnu District, Hiroshima, Japan.On March 31, 2005 Sōryō, along with the towns of Hiwa, Kuchiwa, Saijō, Takano and Tōjō, all from Hiba District, was merged into the expanded city of Shōbara....

, from Kōnu District (dissolved by this action), were merged into the expanded city of Shōbara.

The entire Shobara area is losing around 2% of its population per year, mirroring the exodus of young people to larger urban centers across Japan.