Nagano Prefecture (長野県; Nagano-ken)

Symbol of Nagano Prefecture
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	16
Municipalities	120
ISO 3166-2	JP-20
Web site	www.pref.nagano.jp/ english/indexe.htm (http://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)

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 Districts 3 Economy 4 Demographics 5 Culture 6 Tourism 7 Prefectural symbols 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 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

• Chikuma
• Chino
• Iida
• Iiyama
• Ina
• Komagane
• Komoro
• Matsumoto
• Nagano
• Nakano
• Okaya
• Omachi
• Saku
• Shiojiri
• Suwa
• Suzaka
• Ueda

Districts

Chiisagata Aoki Maruko Nagato Sanada Takeshi Wada Hanishina Sakaki Higashichikuma Akashina Asahi Hata Honjo Ikusaka Omi Sakai Sakakita Shiga Yamagata Kamiina Hase Iijima Minamiminowa Minowa Miyada Nakagawa Takato Tatsuno Kamiminochi Kinasa Mure Nakajo Ogawa Samizu Shinano Shinshushin Togakushi Toyono Kamitakai Obuse Takayama

Kiso Agematsu Hiyoshi Kaida Kiso Kisofukushima Mitake Nagiso Narakawa Okuwa Outaki Yamaguchi Kitaazumi Hakuba Ikeda Matsukawa Miasa Otari Yasaka Kitasaku Asashina Karuizawa Miyota Mochizuki Tateshina Minamiazumi Azumi Azusagawa Horigane Hotaka Misato Nagawa Toyoshina Minamisaku Kawakami Kitaaiki Komi Minamiaiki Minamimaki Saku Usuda Yachiho Sarashina Ooka

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

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Tourism

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 (http://www.pref.nagano.jp/english/indexe.htm)

Nagano Prefecture
Cities
Chikuma | Chino | Iida | Iiyama | Ina | Komagane | Komoro | Matsumoto | Nagano | Nakano | Okaya | Omachi | Saku | Shiojiri | Suwa | Suzaka | Ueda
Districts
Chiisagata | Hanishina | Higashichikuma | Kamiina | Kamiminochi | Kamitakai | Kiso | Kitaazumi | Kitasaku | Minamiazumi | Minamisaku | Sarashina | Shimoina | Shimominochi | Shimotakai | Suwa

de:Präfektur Nagano eo:Nagano (prefektujo) es:Prefectura_de_Nagano fr:Préfecture de Nagano ja:長野県 pt:Nagano