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Nagano Prefecture (長野県; Nagano-ken)

Capital	Nagano
Region	Chūbu
Island	Honshū
Governor	Jin Murai
Area	13,585.22 km² (4th)
- % water	0.2%
Population  (March 1, 2003)
- Population	2,215,973 (16th)
- Density	163 /km²
Districts	14
Municipalities	81
ISO 3166-2	JP-20
Website	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)
Symbol of Nagano Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture (長野県, Nagano-ken^?) is located on Honshū island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nagano.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Cities 2.2 Towns and villages 2.3 Mergers 3 Demographics 4 Culture 5 Tourism 6 Prefectural symbols 7 Medias 7.1 Television 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External links

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.

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 seaside 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.

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

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

Main article: Dissolved municipalities of Nagano Prefecture

• Lake Kizaki
• Lake Suwa
• 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

• Shin-etsu Broadcasting(SBC)
• Nagano Broadcasting Systems(NBS)
• TV. Shinshu(TSB)
• Asahi Broadcasting Nagano(abn)

• 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.

• Nagano Prefecture official homepage
• Nagano (prefecture) travel guide from Wikitravel

Nagano Prefecture
Cities
Azumino | Chikuma | Chino | Iida | Iiyama | Ina | Komagane | Komoro | Matsumoto | Nagano | Nakano | Okaya | Omachi | Saku | Shiojiri | Suwa | Suzaka | Tomi | Ueda
Districts
Chiisagata | Hanishina | Higashichikuma | Kamiina | Kamiminochi | Kamitakai | Kiso | Kitaazumi | Kitasaku | Minamisaku | Shimoina | Shimominochi | Shimotakai | Suwa
See also: Towns and villages by district edit

Coordinates: 36°15′N, 138°6′E