Nagano Prefecture

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Nagano Prefecture (長野県 Nagano-ken)

Image:Map of Japan with highlight on 20 Nagano 長野県.svg
Capital	Nagano
Region	Chūbu
Island	Honshū
Governor	Jin Murai
Area	13,585.22 km² (4th)
- % water	0.2%
Population  (March 1, 2003)
- Population	2,215,973 (16th)
- Density	163 /km²
Districts	14
Municipalities	81
ISO 3166-2	JP-20
Website	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)
Image:PrefSymbol-Nagano.png Symbol of Nagano Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture (長野県, Nagano-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. 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 6 Prefectural symbols 7 Media 7.1 Television 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External links

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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. Lakes featured within the region include Lake Kizaki, a beach resort popular for its water attractions and games.

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

[edit] Cities

Nineteen cities are located in Nagano Prefecture:

Azumino Chikuma Chino Iida Iiyama Ina Komagane

Komoro Matsumoto Nagano (capital) Nakano Okaya Ōmachi

Saku Shiojiri Suwa Suzaka Tōmi Ueda

[edit] Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Chiisagata District Aoki Nagawa Hanishina District Sakaki Higashichikuma District Asahi Chikuhoku Hata Ikusaka Omi Yamagata Kamiina District Iijima Minamiminowa Minowa Miyada Nakagawa Tatsuno Kamiminochi District Iizuna Nakajō Ogawa Shinano Shinshūshin

Kamitakai District Obuse Takayama Kiso District Agematsu Kiso (village) Kiso (town) Nagiso Ōkuwa Ōtaki Kitaazumi District Hakuba Ikeda Matsukawa Otari Kitasaku District Karuizawa Miyota Tateshina Minamisaku District Kawakami Kitaaiki Koumi Minamiaiki Minamimaki Sakuho

Shimoina District Achi Anan Hiraya Matsukawa Neba Ōshika Seinaiji Shimojō Takagi Takamori Tenryū Toyooka Urugi Yasuoka Shimominochi District Sakae Shimotakai District Kijimadaira Nozawaonsen Yamanouchi Suwa District Fujimi Hara Shimosuwa

[edit] Mergers

Main article: Dissolved municipalities of Nagano Prefecture

(as of March 31, 2006)

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

• September 1, 2003 — The city of Koshoku, the town of Kamiyamada from Sarashina District and the town of Togura from Hanishina District merged to form the city of Chikuma.

• 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 Tōmi.

• January 1, 2005 — The village of Ōoka 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.

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

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

• April 1, 2005—

  The city of Saku, the town of Usuda from Minamisaku District, and the town of Mochizuki and the village of Asashina (both from Kitasaku District) merged to form the city of Saku.

  The village of Narakawa from Kiso District merged into the city of Shiojiri.

  The city of Nakano and the village of Toyota from Shimominochi District merged to form the city of Nakano.

  The village of Shiga from Higashichikuma District, and the villages of Nagawa, Azumi and Azusagawa from Minamiazumi District merged into the city of Matsumoto.

• October 1, 2005—

  The villages of Mure and Samizu from Kamiminochi District merged to form the new town of Iizuna.

  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.

  The villages of Kami and Minamishinano from Shimoina District merged into the city of Iida.

  The town of Nagato and the village of Wada from Chiisagata District merged to form the new town of Nagawa.

• October 11, 2005 — The villages of Honjō, Sakakita and Sakai from Higashichikuma District merged to form the new village of Chikuhoku.

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

• January 1, 2006—

  The villages of Yasaka and Miasa from Kitaazumi District merged into the city of Ōmachi.

  The village of Namiai from Shimoina District merged into the village of Achi.

• March 6, 2006 — The city of Ueda, the towns of Maruko, Sanada and the village of Takeshi (all from Chiisagata District) merged to form the city of Ueda.

• March 31, 2006 — The city of Ina, the town of Takatō and the village of Hase from Kamiina District merged to form the city of Ina.

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Culture

[edit] Tourism

• Lake Kizaki
• Lake Suwa
• Mount Kirigamine
• Suwa Taisha, one of the oldest shrine in Japan
• Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's national treasures.
• One of the world's highest geysers (about 40 to 50 meters) in Suwa.
• Zenkō-ji temple in Nagano city

[edit] Prefectural symbols

• Siberian Silver Birch
• Gentian
• Ptarmigan
• Japanese Serow
• Shinano no Kuni (prefecture song)

[edit] Media

[edit] Television

• Shin-etsu Broadcasting(SBC)
• Nagano Broadcasting Systems(NBS)
• TV. Shinshu(TSB)
• Asahi Broadcasting Nagano(abn)

[edit] Miscellaneous topics

• Nagano's former 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. Tanaka was voted out from office on August 6, 2006 and was replaced by Jin Murai.

[edit] External links

• Nagano Prefecture official homepage
• Nagano (prefecture) travel guide from Wikitravel

Image:Shadow picture of Nagano prefecture.png Nagano Prefecture Image:Flag of Nagano, Japan.svg
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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