is a landlocked

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

of Japan located in the

Chūbu region The , Central region, or is a region in the middle of Honshū, Japan's main island. In a wide, classical definition, it encompasses nine prefectures (''ken''): Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, and Ya ...

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

to the north,

Gunma Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of . Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fuk ...

to the northeast,

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the southeast,

Shizuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...

and

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

to the south, and

Gifu Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...

and

Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 993,848 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...

to the west. Nagano is the capital and largest city of Nagano Prefecture, with other major cities including Matsumoto, Ueda, and Iida. Nagano Prefecture has impressive

highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

areas of the Japanese Alps, including most of the Hida Mountains, Kiso Mountains, and Akaishi Mountains which extend into the neighbouring prefectures. The area's

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

s, natural scenery, and history has gained Nagano Prefecture international recognition as a winter sports tourist destination, and hosted the

1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Nagano, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with some events ...

. It is served by the

Hokuriku Shinkansen The Hokuriku Shinkansen () is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo with Tsuruga, Fukui, Tsuruga in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR ...

line, with direct services to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Toyama, and

Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Etymology The name "Kanazaw ...

History

Geography

Nagano is an inland prefecture and it borders more prefectures than any other in Japan, bordering

, Yamanashi Prefecture, and

to the east,

to the north,

and

to the west, and

to the south. Nagano contains the point furthest from the sea in the whole of Japan—this point lies within the city of Saku. The province's mountains have made it relatively isolated, and many visitors come to Nagano 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 lying coastal areas. , 21% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as 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.

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

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

: * Chiisagata District ** Aoki ** Nagawa * Hanishina District ** Sakaki * Higashichikuma District **

Asahi Asahi (Japanese 朝日, 旭, or あさひ 'morning sun') may refer to: Places in Japan Cities * Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'') Wards * Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'') * Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'') Towns * Asahi, Aichi ...

** Chikuhoku ** Ikusaka ** Omi ** Yamagata * Kamiina District ** Iijima ** Minamiminowa ** Minowa ** Miyada ** Nakagawa ** Tatsuno * Kamiminochi District ** Iizuna ** Ogawa ** Shinano * 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 ** Shimojō ** Takagi ** Takamori ** Tenryū ** Toyooka ** Urugi ** Yasuoka * Shimominochi District ** Sakae * Shimotakai District ** Kijimadaira ** Nozawaonsen ** Yamanouchi * Suwa District ** Fujimi ** Hara ** Shimosuwa

Mergers

Demographics

Nagano prefecture population pyramid in 2020

The life expectancy in Nagano prefecture is the longest nationwide with the average life expectancy of 87.18 years for women and 80.88 years for men.

Transportation

Railway

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

** Chūō Main Line (west line) **

Iida Line The is a Japanese railway line connecting Toyohashi Station in Toyohashi, Aichi with Tatsuno Station in Tatsuno, Nagano, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The line links eastern Aichi Prefecture and southern Nagano Pr ...

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

** Chūō Main Line (east line) **

** Koumi Line **

Ōito Line The is a railway line in Japan which connects Matsumoto Station in Nagano Prefecture with Itoigawa Station in Niigata Prefecture. There are two operators on the line: East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West ...

(from to ) **

Shin'etsu Main Line The is a railway line, consisting of three geographically separated sections, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It was originally one continuous line connecting and via . Since the opening and later extension of ...

** Shinonoi Line * Matsumoto Electric Railway ** Kamikōchi Line * Nagano Electric Railway **Nagano Line * Shinano Railway ** Shinano Railway Line * Ueda Dentetsu ** Bessho Line * West Japan Railway Company **Ōito Line (from Minami-Otari to )

Road

Expressways

*Chubu-jukan Expressway *Chubu-odan Expressway * Chuo Expressway * Joshinetsu Expressway * Nagano Expressway *Sanen-nanshin Expressway

National highways

*Route 18 *Route 19 (Nagano-Matsumoto-Shioriri-Nagiso- Nakatsugawa- Tajimi-

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

) *Route 20 (Matsumoto-Suwa- Kofu- Otsuki- Hachioji-

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

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 is a Cities of Japan, city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 377,453 in 160,516 households and a population density of 1,400 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . By area, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefec ...

) *Route 152 *Route 153 (Nagoya-

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

-Iida-Shioriri) *Route 158 ( Fukui- Gujo- Takayama-Matsumoto) *Route 254 *Route 256 (

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

-Gujo-

Gero Gero I ( 900 – 20 May 965), sometimes called the Great (),Thompson, 486. Also se was a nobleman from East Francia who ruled an initially modest march centred on Merseburg in the south of the present German state of Saxony-Anhalt, which he ...

-Nakatsugawa-Nagiso-Iida) *Route 403 *Route 406 (Omachi-Hakuba-Nagano-Susaka- Tsumagoi-

Takasaki is a Cities of Japan, city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 372,369 in 167,345 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Takasaki is famous as th ...

) *Route 418 ( Ono- Seki- Ena-Iida)

Airports

* Matsumoto Airport

Education

Universities

Public

* Shinshu University (National) * Nagano College of Nursing (Prefectural) * The University of Nagano (Prefectural) * Nagano University unicipal (Ueda City)* Suwa Tokyo University of Science unicipal (Chino City)

Private

* Matsumoto University (Private) * Matsumoto Dental University (Private) * Saku University (Private) * Seisen Jogakuin College (Private)

Economy

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 trillion (2017). Several large Japanese groups have production facilities in Nagano Prefecture, such as

Citizen Watch , also known as the Citizen Group, is an electronics company primarily known for its watches and is the core company of a economy of Japan, Japanese global corporation, corporate group based in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan. In addition to Citizen bra ...

(Citizen Group), MinebeaMitsumi, Seiko Epson and Vaio.

Tourism

* 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

geyser A geyser (, ) is a spring with an intermittent water discharge ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam. The formation of geysers is fairly rare and is caused by particular hydrogeological conditions that exist only in a few places on Ea ...

s (about 40 to 50 meters) in Suwa * Zenkō-ji temple in Nagano city

Sports

There are two local J.League clubs: AC Nagano Parceiro and Matsumoto Yamaga FC.

Prefectural symbols

Gentian ''Gentiana'' () is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the gentian family ( Gentianaceae), the tribe Gentianeae, and the monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With over 300 species, it is considered a large genus. Gentians are notable for thei ...

* Japanese serow * Ptarmigan * Siberian Silver Birch * Shinano no Kuni (prefecture song)

Sister regions

Changhua County Changhua (Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴'') is a Taiwanese County (Taiwan), county that is the smallest on the Geography of Taiwan, main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest in the country. With a total population of 1.24 million, Chan ...

, Taiwan, since 2008 *

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, United States *

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

, China

Personalities

* Yuto Adachi, of Korean boy group

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon () is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple polygon, simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simple or list of self-intersecting polygons, self-intersecting. A self-intersecting ...

is from Nagano Prefecture * Glim Spanky, the members of the rock band are from Nagano Prefecture * Yasuyuki Kazama, a professional drift driver, is from Shimosuwa in Nagano Prefecture. * Tadamichi Kuribayashi, a general in the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

who commanded troops during the

Battle of Iwo Jima The was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, desi ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

was born in Matsushiro a town in the Hanishina District. * Jun'ya Ota (aka ZUN), video game developer best known for the '' Touhou Project'' series is from Nagano Prefecture. * 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. * Keiichi Tsuchiya, a professional racing driver, is from Tōmi in Nagano Prefecture. * Bumpei Usui, a professional artist, came from Tōmi in Horikin Village, Minami Azumino County, Nagano Prefecture. * Takashi Yamazaki, a filmmaker, is from Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture. * Tatsumi Yoda (aka Tom Yoda), former chairman of Avex, is from Chikuma-shi.

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 58053128

External links

*
Nagano Prefecture Official Website

Nagano Prefecture Tourism Website
{{Authority control Chūbu region Prefectures of Japan Japan campaign