Nagano Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture (長野県; Nagano-ken)

Capital	Nagano
Region	Chubu
Island	Honshu
Governor	Yasuo Tanaka
Area	13,585.22 km² (4th)
- % water	0.2%
Population (March 1, 2003)
- Population	2,215,973 (16th)
- Density	163 /km²
Districts	14
Municipalities	83
ISO 3166-2	JP-20
Web site	www.pref.nagano.jp/ english/indexe.htm
Prefectural Symbols
- Flower	Gentian (Gentiana scabra var. buergeri)
- Tree	White birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica)
- Bird	Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus)
Symbol of Nagano Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture (長野県; Nagano-ken) is located on Honshu island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nagano.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Cities 2.2 Towns and villages 2.3 Mergers 3 Demographics 4 Culture 5 Tourism 5.1 Tourist spots 6 Prefectural symbols 7 Miscellaneous topics 8 External links

History

Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano, and was divided among many local daimyo during the Sengoku period.

Nagano was host to the 1998 Winter Olympics, which gained the prefecture international recognition as well as gaining the prefecture a Shinkansen line to Tokyo.

Geography

Nine of the twelve highest mountains in Japan can be found in this inland prefecture. Nagano is also the prefecture which is bordered by the highest number of other prefectures in Japan and it contains the location which is the furthest point from the ocean anywhere in Japan.

The province's mountains have made it relatively isolated, and many people come for its mountain resorts and hot springs.

Cities

Azumino Chikuma Chino Iida Iiyama Ina Komagane

Komoro Matsumoto Nagano Nakano Okaya Omachi

Saku Shiojiri Suwa Suzaka Tomi Ueda

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district.

Chiisagata District Aoki Nagawa Hanishina District Sakaki Higashichikuma District Asahi Chikuho Hata Ikusaka Omi Yamagata Kamiina District Hase Iijima Minamiminowa Minowa Miyada Nakagawa Takato Tatsuno Kamiminochi District Iizuna Nakajo Ogawa Shinano Shinshushin

Kamitakai District Obuse Takayama Kiso District Agematsu Kiso Village Kiso Town Nagiso Okuwa Outaki Kitaazumi District Hakuba Ikeda Matsukawa Otari Kitasaku District Karuizawa Miyota Tateshina Minamisaku District Kawakami Kitaaiki Komi Minamiaiki Minamimaki Sakuho

Shimoina District Achi Anan Hiraya Matsukawa Neba Oshika Seinaiji Shimojo Takagi Takamori Tenryu Toyoka Urugi Yasuoka Shimominochi District Sakae Shimotakai District Kijimadaira Nozawaonsen Yamanouchi Suwa District Fujimi Hara Shimosuwa

Mergers

(as of March 6, 2006)

• On June 1, 1993, the town of Kamisato from Shimoina District merged into the expanded city of Iida.

• On September 1, 2003, the city of Koshoku, the town of Kamiyamada from Sarashina District and the town of Togura from Hanishina District merged into the city of Chikuma.

• On April 1, 2004, the village of Kitamimaki from Kitasaku District and the town of Tobu from Chiisagata District merged to form the new city of Tomi.

• On January 1, 2005, the village of Ooka from Sarashina District, the town of Toyono and the villages of Togakushi and Kinasa (all three from Kamiminochi District) merged into the city of Nagano. Sarashina District was dissolved as a result.

• On February 13, 2005, the village of Yamaguchi from Kiso District merged into the city of Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture.

• On March 20, 2005, the town of Saku and the village of Yachiho from Minamisaku District merged to form the new town of Sakuho.

• On April 1, 2005, the town of Usuda from Minamisaku District, and the town of Mochizuki and the village of Asashina (both from Kitasaku District) merged into the city of Saku.

• On April 1, 2005, the village of Narakawa from Kiso District merged into the city of Shiojiri.

• On April 1, 2005, the village of Toyota from Shimominochi District merged into the city of Nakano.

• On April 1, 2005, the village of Shiga from Higashichikuma District, and the villages of Nagawa, Azumi and Azusagawa from Minamiazumi District merged into the city of Matsumoto.

• On October 1, 2005, the villages of Mure and Samizu from Kamiminochi District merged to form the new town of Iizuna.

• On October 1, 2005, the town of Akashina from Higashichikuma District, and the towns and villages of Horigane, Hotaka, Misato and Toyoshina from Minamiazumi District merged to form the new city of Azumino. Minamiazumi District was dissolved as a result.

• On October 1, 2005, the villages of Kami and Minamishinano from Shimoina District merged into the city of Iida.

• On October 1, 2005, the town of Nagato and the village of Wada from Chiisagata District merged to form the new town of Nagawa.

• On October 11, 2005, the villages of Honjo, Sakakita and Sakai from Higashichikuma District merged to form the new village of Chikuho.

• On November 1, 2005, the villages of Kisofukushima, Mitake, Hiyoshi and Kaida from Kiso District merged to form the new town of Kiso.

• On January 1, 2006, the villages of Yasaka and Miasa from Kitaazumi District merged into the city of Omachi.

• On January 1, 2006, the village of Namiai from Shimoina District merged into the village of Achi.

• On March 6, 2006, the towns of Maruko, Sanada and the village of Takeshi (all from Chiisagata District) merged into the city of Ueda.

Demographics

Culture

Tourism

Tourist spots

• Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's national treasures.
• One of the world's highest geysers (about 40 to 50 meters) in Suwa.

Prefectural symbols

Miscellaneous topics

• Nagano's current governor, Yasuo Tanaka, is an independent who has made a reputation internationally for attacking Japan's status quo. Among other issues, he has refused national government money for construction projects that he deems unnecessary, such as dams, and has overhauled (locally) the press club system that is blamed for limiting government access to journalists who give favorable coverage.

External links

• Nagano Prefecture official homepage
• Travel guide to Nagano (prefecture) from Wikitravel
• Nagano Prefecture photos at PHOTOGUIDE.JP

Nagano Prefecture
Cities
Azumino |Chikuma | Chino | Iida | Iiyama | Ina | Komagane | Komoro | Matsumoto | Nagano | Nakano | Okaya | Omachi | Saku | Shiojiri | Suwa | Suzaka | Tomi | Ueda
Districts
Chiisagata | Hanishina | Higashichikuma | Kamiina | Kamiminochi | Kamitakai | Kiso | Kitaazumi | Kitasaku | Minamisaku | Shimoina | Shimominochi | Shimotakai | Suwa
See also: Towns and villages by district edit

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