Nagano is located in north-central Nagano Prefecture, in the Nagano Basin (
Zenkoji Daira), surrounding by mountains, near the
confluence of the
Chikuma River and the Sai River. The Sai River in Nagano should not be confused with the
Sai River (Gifu) even though both rivers have the same
kanji and reading, 犀川 (Saigawa). Other important rivers include the Susobana River, which originates in the Togakushi highland area, and the Torii River, which also originates in the Togakushi highlands. The Chikuma River is 367.0 km long, 29.5 km of which are within the Nagano city limits. The Sai River is 157.7 km long, with 44.2 km in Nagano. All 40.1 km of the Susobana River are in Nagano City, and 10.4 km of the 34.8 km-long Torii River are in Nagano
Myōkō-Togakushi Renzan National Park,
Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park and
Chūbu-Sangaku National Park are each partially located within Nagano City. The present-day
core city of Nagano includes the districts and former towns of Nagano, Shinonoi, Matsushiro, Wakaho, Kawanakajima, Kohoku, Naniai, Shinkomachi, Toyono, Togakushi, Kinasa, Ooka, Shinshushincho, Nakajo.
Surrounding mountains •
Mount Takatsuma, 2,353 m, straddles
Myōkō, Niigata and Nagano City. It is the highest peak of the Togakushi mountain range, is one of
100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and due to its pyramidal shape it is also known as Togakushi Fuji. Takatsuma is the highest point in Nagano City. The lowest point is located in the Asano area of Toyono, 327.4 meters above sea level. •
Mount Iizuna, 1,917 meters, is a popular area for skiing and is where
the Spiral, bobsleigh and luge track for the
1998 Winter Olympics are located. •
Mount Togakushi, 1,904 m, is located in Nagano City. • Mount Hijiri, 1,447 m. is located along the border between Nagano City, and
Omi in
Higashichikuma District, Nagano. • Daibou Pass, 1,055 m, is located in Nagano City, on the border of
Togakushi and
Kinasa, Nagano. • Iizuna Kogen, 1,000 m, is a highland area that extends to the south base of Mount Iizuna in Nagano City. • Mount Mododori, 744 m, spans northern Nagano City, and
Iizuna town. It is a
monogenetic volcano that was active approximately 200,000 years ago. • Mount Dizuki, 733 m, is located on the northwest side of Nagano City. • Mount Minakami, 659 m, is a
lava dome in
Matsushiro in Nagano City. Its relative height to the surrounding landscape is 280 m.
Climate Nagano has a
hot-summer humid continental climate (
Köppen climate classification Dfa) that borders on a
humid subtropical climate (
Köppen climate classification Cfa). Its location in a sheltered inland valley means it receives less precipitation than any part of Japan except
Hokkaidō. The city receives heavy winter snow totaling from December to March, but it is less gloomy during these cold months than the coast from
Hagi to
Wakkanai. {{Weather box
Demographics The population of Nagano City has declined by 10,000 since the mid-1990s. As of April 1, 2019, the city had a total population of 376,080 people, made up of 193,982 women and 182,098 men in 160,625 households.
Historical populations Population of districts of the current Core City of Nagano The growth and decline of the population within the various districts of Nagano City has been uneven over the past 70 years
Foreign and non-Japanese residents The following table shows the population of foreigners and non-Japanese residents since 2014
Surrounding municipalities Happo-one Winter Resort ;
Nagano Prefecture •
Shinano, located approximately 20 kilometers north of Nagano.
Lake Nojiri is found in Shinano. Lake Nojiri was home to
Kokusaimura (International Village), a landownership association, made up principally of Christian missionaries who had cottages there from the early 20th Century. •
Nakano, located in the Zennoji Plain, on the Chikuma River and surrounded by mountains, experienced significant growth after the 1998 Winter Olympics. •
Suzaka, a former
castle town (jōkamachi) during the
Edo period Tokugawa shogunate on the opposite side of the
Chikuma River from Nagano. The city was noted in the Meiji period for its silk industry. After World War II, an electronics industry was established. The city is also noted for apples and grapes, and the Prefectural Agricultural Research Station is located there. •
Obuse, an important historical tourist town, approximately 30 minutes by
Nagano Electric Railway train from Nagano Station. Obuse is home to a
Hokusai museum, and
Gansho-in, a Buddhist temple, has a ceiling painted by him. The largest hospital in the town, a former
tuberculosis sanatorium, was built in the 1930s by
J. G. Waller and the
Anglican Church of Canada. •
Ueda, approximately 35 kilometers south of Nagano, was a former castle town of the
Ueda Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. The ruins of
Ueda Castle are an important historical site in the city. •
Chikuma, located approximately 20 kilometers south of Nagano, includes numerous burial tombs (tumuli) from the
Kofun period. During the
Nara period, several important
Man'yōshū poems were set here. The area around Chikuma prospered during the Edo period as several
post stations along the pilgrimage route to the famed
Zenkō-ji were located here.
Obasute Station, a
switchback station is located here. •
Ōmachi is approximately 40 kilometers west of Nagano. The
Hida Mountains, also called the Japanese Northern Alps, with 3000m peaks surround Ōmachi. The area was part of the holdings of
Matsumoto Domain during the Edo period. •
Omi is approximately 30 kilometers southwest of Nagano Station. The town is in the Hijiiri Highlands, and
Hijiri-Kōgen Station is located here, as is
Kitayama Dam. •
Chikuhoku is located in the Matsumoto Basin, and the
Higashijo Dam and
Onikuma Dam are located here. Most of the area was under the control of Matsumoto Domain during the Edo period. •
Ikusaka is approximately 50 kilometers southwest of Nagano, in the center of Nagano Prefecture. Two dams,
Ikusaka Dam and
Taira Dam are found here. The area of present-day Ikusaka was part of the holdings of Matsumoto Domain during the Edo period. •
Ogawa is approximately 20 kilometers west of Nagano. It is listed as one of
The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan. It is an important agriculture center, primarily rice cultivation. •
Hakuba, located 45 km west of Nagano Station, is an internationally renowned ski resort town in the northern Japan Alps. The surrounding valley has an annual snow fall of over 11 meters, and the 10 ski resorts have more than 200 runs. The village was an important site for 1998 Winter Olympics (
Alpine skiing,
ski jumping, and
cross-country). Most of Hakuba is located in
Chūbu-Sangaku National Park. •
Otari is located approximately 55 kilometers northwest of Nagano Station. It is in the mountainous far northwest of Nagano Prefecture, bordered by Niigata Prefecture to the north and west. Much of the village is within the borders of the
Chūbu-Sangaku National Park or the
Myōkō-Togakushi Renzan National Park. ;
Niigata Prefecture •
Myōkō, on the border of Nagano Prefecture, lies in mountains surrounding the historical entrance to the Echigo Plains. The city is surrounded by five mountains. Madarao, Myōkō, Kurohime, Togakushi and Iizuna are collectively known as the Five Peaks of Northern Shinano (
Hokushingogaku). Mount Myōkō (2,454 m) is in the city, much of which is within the borders of the Myōkō-Togakushi Renzan National Park. ==History==