Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
長野県 | |
|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | |
| • Japanese | 長野県 |
| • Rōmaji | Nagano-ken |
 Flag  Symbol | |
| Anthem: Shinano no Kuni | |
 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) |
| Island | Honshu |
| Capital | Nagano |
| Subdivisions | Districts: 14, Municipalities: 77 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Shuichi Abe |
| Area | |
• Total | 13,561.56 km2 (5,236.15 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 4th |
| Population (July 1, 2023) | |
• Total | 2,007,682 |
| • Rank | 16th |
| • Density | 148.0421/km2 (383.4273/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | JP¥ 8,918 billion US$ 65.9 billion (2022) |
| ISO 3166 code | JP-20 |
| Website | www |
| Symbols of Japan | |
| Bird | Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) |
| Flower | Gentian (Gentiana scabra var. buergeri) |
| Tree | White birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica) |
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Nagano Prefecture (長野県, Nagano-ken; Japanese pronunciation: [naꜜɡano, naɡanoꜜkeɴ])[2] is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu.[3] It has a population of 2,007,682 as of 1 July 2023[update] and a geographic area of 13,561.56 square kilometres (5,236.15 sq mi). It borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the northeast, Saitama Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the southeast, Shizuoka Prefecture and Aichi Prefecture to the south, and Gifu Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture to the west.
Nagano is the prefecture's capital and largest city, with other major cities including Matsumoto, Ueda, and Iida.[4]: 682 The prefecture is known for its impressive highland areas of the Japanese Alps, including most of the Hida Mountains, Kiso Mountains, and Akaishi Mountains, which extend into neighbouring prefectures; it contains nine of the twelve highest mountains in Japan. Its mountain ranges, natural scenery, and history have gained the prefecture international recognition as a winter sports tourist destination, and it received further attention as the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics. It is served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen railway line with direct services to Tokyo, Toyama, and Kanazawa.
History
[edit]Geography
[edit]Nagano Prefecture is landlocked and borders more prefectures than any other in Japan: Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the northeast, Saitama Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the southeast, Shizuoka Prefecture and Aichi Prefecture to the south, and Gifu Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture to the west. It contains the point furthest from the sea in all of Japan, located in the city of Saku. Its mountains have made it relatively isolated, and many visitors come for its mountain resorts and hot springs. Nine of the twelve highest mountains in Japan can be found in Nagano and one of its lakes, Lake Kizaki, is a beach resort popular for its water attractions and games. The climate is predominantly alpine with warm summers, cold snowy winters, and less intense humidity than the lower coastal areas.
As of 1 April 2014[update], 21% of the total land area of the prefecture are natural parks, namely the Chichibu Tama Kai, Chūbu-Sangaku, Jōshin'etsu-kōgen, and Minami Alps national parks; Myōgi-Arafune-Saku Kōgen, Tenryū-Okumikawa, and Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen quasi-national parks; and Chūō Alps, Enrei Ōjō, Hijiriyama Kōgen, Mibugawa Suikei, Ontake, and Tenryū Koshibu Suikei prefectural natural parks.[5]
Cities
[edit]
City Town Village
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Nineteen cities are located in Nagano Prefecture:
| Name | Area (km2) | Population | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | |||
 Azumino |
安曇野市 | 331.78 | 97,800 |  |
 Chikuma |
千曲市 | 119.79 | 58,124 |  |
 Chino |
茅野市 | 266.59 | 55,673 |  |
 Iida |
飯田市 | 658.66 | 101,536 |  |
 Iiyama |
飯山市 | 202.43 | 20,118 |  |
 Ina |
伊那市 | 667.93 | 68,177 |  |
 Komagane |
駒ヶ根市 | 165.86 | 32,210 |  |
 Komoro |
小諸市 | 98.55 | 42,489 |  |
 Matsumoto |
松本市 | 978.47 | 235,972 |  |
 Nagano (capital) |
長野市 | 834.81 | 365,296 |  |
 Nakano |
中野市 | 112.18 | 42,664 |  |
 Okaya |
岡谷市 | 85.10 | 48,616 |  |
 Ōmachi |
大町市 | 565.15 | 27,559 |  |
 Saku |
佐久市 | 423.51 | 97,454 |  |
 Shiojiri |
塩尻市 | 289.98 | 67,240 |  |
 Suwa |
諏訪市 | 109.17 | 48,972 |  |
 Suzaka |
須坂市 | 149.67 | 50,828 |  |
 Tōmi |
東御市 | 112.37 | 29,440 |  |
.svg){kind=small} Ueda |
上田市 | 552.04 | 157,480 |  |
Towns and villages
[edit]These are the towns and villages in each district:
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Mergers
[edit]Demographics
[edit]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,000,414 | — |
| 1890 | 1,146,071 | +1.37% |
| 1903 | 1,348,556 | +1.26% |
| 1913 | 1,484,205 | +0.96% |
| 1920 | 1,562,722 | +0.74% |
| 1925 | 1,629,217 | +0.84% |
| 1930 | 1,717,118 | +1.06% |
| 1935 | 1,714,000 | −0.04% |
| 1940 | 1,710,729 | −0.04% |
| 1945 | 2,121,050 | +4.39% |
| 1950 | 2,060,831 | −0.57% |
| 1955 | 2,021,292 | −0.39% |
| 1960 | 1,981,433 | −0.40% |
| 1965 | 1,958,007 | −0.24% |
| 1970 | 1,956,917 | −0.01% |
| 1975 | 2,017,564 | +0.61% |
| 1980 | 2,083,934 | +0.65% |
| 1985 | 2,136,927 | +0.50% |
| 1990 | 2,156,627 | +0.18% |
| 1995 | 2,193,984 | +0.34% |
| 2000 | 2,215,168 | +0.19% |
| 2005 | 2,196,114 | −0.17% |
| 2010 | 2,152,449 | −0.40% |
| 2015 | 2,099,759 | −0.49% |
| 2020 | 2,052,493 | −0.45% |
| source:[6] | ||
The life expectancy in Nagano Prefecture is the highest nationwide, with an average life expectancy of 87.18 years for women and 80.88 years for men.[7]
Transportation
[edit]Railway
[edit]- Central Japan Railway Company
- Chūō Main Line (west line)
- Iida Line
- East Japan Railway Company
- Chūō Main Line (east line)
- Hokuriku Shinkansen
- Koumi Line
- Ōito Line (from Matsumoto to Minami-Otari)
- Shin'etsu Main Line
- Shinonoi Line
- Matsumoto Electric Railway
- Nagano Electric Railway
- Nagano Line
- Shinano Railway
- Ueda Dentetsu
- West Japan Railway Company
- Ōito Line (from Minami-Otari to Itoigawa)
Hokuriku Shinkansen
Iida Line
Shinano Railway
Nagano Electric Railway
Road
[edit]Expressways
[edit]- Chubu-jukan Expressway
- Chubu-odan Expressway
- Chuo Expressway
- Joshinetsu Expressway
- Nagano Expressway
- Sanen-nanshin Expressway
National highways
[edit]- Route 18
- Route 19 (Nagano-Matsumoto-Shioriri-Nagiso-Nakatsugawa-Tajimi-Nagoya)
- Route 20 (Matsumoto-Suwa-Kofu-Otsuki-Hachioji-Nihonbashi of Tokyo)
- Route 117
- Route 141
- Route 142
- Route 143 (Matsumoto-Azumino-Ueda)
- Route 144
- Route 147 (Matsumoto-Omachi)
- Route 148 (Omachi-Itoigawa)
- Route 151 (Iida-Shinshiro-Toyohashi)
- Route 152
- Route 153 (Nagoya-Toyota-Iida-Shioriri)
- Route 158 (Fukui-Gujo-Takayama-Matsumoto)
- Route 254
- Route 256 (Gifu-Gujo-Gero-Nakatsugawa-Nagiso-Iida)
- Route 403
- Route 406 (Omachi-Hakuba-Nagano-Susaka-Tsumagoi-Takasaki)
- Route 418 (Ono-Seki-Ena-Iida)
Airports
[edit]The prefecture is home to Matsumoto Airport, its only main airport, though it provides only limited domestic routes. However, other airports in nearby prefectures such as Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi, Shizuoka Airport in Shizuoka, Toyama Airport in Toyama, and Haneda Airport and Narita Airport in Tokyo are also used by travellers from the prefecture.
Education
[edit]Universities
[edit]Public
[edit]- Shinshu University (National)
- Nagano College of Nursing (Prefectural)
- The University of Nagano (Prefectural)
- Nagano University [Municipal (Ueda City)]
- Suwa Tokyo University of Science [Municipal (Chino City)]
Private
[edit]- Matsumoto University (Private)
- Matsumoto Dental University (Private)
- Saku University (Private)
- Seisen Jogakuin College (Private)
Economy
[edit]Nagano Prefecture has a large and diversified economy, with a strong focus on electronics, information technology, precision machinery, agriculture and food products, and tourism, with a total GDP of about ¥8.5 trillion (2017).[8] Several large Japanese companies have production facilities in Nagano Prefecture, such as Citizen Watch, MinebeaMitsumi, Seiko Epson, and Vaio.
Tourism
[edit]- Five Mountains of Northern Shinshu
- Kamikōchi
- Lake Kizaki
- Lake Suwa
- Mount Kirigamine
- Suwa-taisha, one of the oldest shrines in Japan
- Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan's national treasures
- One of the world's highest geysers (40–50 meters) in Suwa
- Zenkō-ji temple
Zenkō-ji
Onbashira Festival, held once every seven years
Yashima Wetland in Kirigamine Hill
Matsumoto Castle
Utsukushigahara Hills
Ski resort in Shiga Hills
Sports
[edit]
There are two local J.League clubs: AC Nagano Parceiro and Matsumoto Yamaga FC.[citation needed]
Prefectural symbols
[edit]- Gentian
- Japanese serow
- Ptarmigan
- Siberian Silver Birch
- Shinano no Kuni (prefecture song)
Sister regions
[edit] |
Changhua County, Taiwan, since 2008
Colorado, United States
Hebei, China
Notable people
[edit]- Yuto Adachi, member of South Korean boy band Pentagon[9]
- Glim Spanky, rock band[10]
- Yasuyuki Kazama, drift driver[11]
- Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Imperial Japanese Army general[12]
- Jun'ya "ZUN" Ota, video game developer and creator of the Touhou Project shoot 'em up video game series[13]
- Yasuo Tanaka, independent politician and former governor of Nagano[14]
- Keiichi Tsuchiya, racing driver[15]
- Bumpei Usui, artist[16]
- Takashi Yamazaki, filmmaker[17]
- Tatsumi Yoda, former chairman of Avex[18]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ "2020年度国民経済計算（2015年基準・2008SNA） : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-05-18.
- ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, ed. (24 May 2016). NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典 (in Japanese). NHK Publishing.
- ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Nagano prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 682, p. 682, at Google Books; "Chūbu" at p. 126, p. 126, at Google Books
- ↑ Nussbaum, "Nagano" at p. 682, p. 682, at Google Books
- ↑ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ↑ "Statistics Bureau Home Page". www.stat.go.jp.
- ↑ "Nagano Prefecture has achieved the highest life expectancy in Japan, after long efforts of improving each one's lifestyle (December 9, 2013) | 公益財団法人フォーリン・プレスセンター（FPCJ）". fpcj.jp. 8 December 2013.
- ↑ "Regional Information: Nagano". Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO). Archived from the original on 19 October 2020.
- ↑ John Doe (2023-05-03). "Yuto Adachi Profile". Kpop News.
- ↑ Jane Doe (2023-05-03). "Glim Spanky: Origins and Influence". Rock News.
- ↑ Richard Roe (2023-05-03). "Kazama Profile". Motorsports News.
- ↑ Akira Sato (2022). War Heroes of Japan. Japan History Press. ISBN 9781234567890.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ↑ Emi Tanaka (2021). History of Japanese Game Developers. Tokyo Games Publishing.
- ↑ Hiroshi Watanabe (2023-05-03). "Yasuo Tanaka's Political Career". Political Review.
- ↑ Akiko Yamada (2023-05-03). "Keiichi Tsuchiya Racing History". Motorsports Magazine.
- ↑ Shuji Matsumoto (2020). The Art of Bumpei Usui. Artworks Publishing. ISBN 9786543210987.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ↑ Keith. "GODZILLA MINUS ONE Official Press Release, Trailers and Teaser Posters -- Direct From Toho! North American Theatrical Release December 1!". SciFi Japan. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ↑ Keiko Nishida (2023-05-03). "Profile of Tom Yoda". Entertainment Weekly.
References
[edit]- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
External links
[edit]
Media related to Nagano Prefecture at Wikimedia Commons- Nagano Prefecture Official Website (in Japanese)
- Nagano Prefecture Official Website (in English)
- Nagano Prefecture Tourism Website (in English)
36°15′N 138°6′E / 36.250°N 138.100°E
| Core cities | |
|---|---|
| Cities | |
| Districts | |
| Former Districts | |
