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is located in the Chūbu region of the Honshū island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nagano.

Contents

History

Geography

Cities

Towns and villages

Mergers

Demographics

Culture

Tourism

Prefectural symbols

Medias

Television

Miscellaneous topics

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. 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.

Cities

Nineteen cities are located in Nagano Prefecture:

★ Azumino ★ Chikuma ★ Chino ★ Iida ★ Iiyama ★ Ina ★ Komagane

★ Komoro ★ Matsumoto ★ Nagano (capital) ★ 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::Chikuhoku::Hata::Ikusaka::Omi::Yamagata ★ Kamiina District::Iijima::Minamiminowa::Minowa::Miyada::Nakagawa::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::Koumi::Minamiaiki::Minamimaki::Sakuho

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

Mergers

Demographics

Culture

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

Prefectural symbols

★ Siberian Silver Birch

★ Gentian

★ Ptarmigan

★ Japanese Serow

★ Shinano no Kuni (prefecture song)

Medias

Television

★ Shin-etsu Broadcasting(SBC)

★ Nagano Broadcasting Systems(NBS)

★ TV. Shinshu(TSB)

★ Asahi Broadcasting Nagano(abn)

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.

External links

★ Nagano Prefecture official homepage

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