Kawakami, Nagano

Kawakami (川上村, Kawakami-mura) is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2019, the village had an estimated population of 4,009 in 1419 households,[1] and a population density of 19 persons per km². The total area of the village is 209.61 square kilometres (80.93 sq mi). The village office is located at an altitude of 1,185 meters, the highest of any municipality in Japan. Kawakami is famous for its lettuce, as well as the Kawakami breed of dogs, Kawakami Inu.[2]

Kawakami

川上村
Kawakami Village Hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Kawakami in Nagano Prefecture
Kawakami
 
Coordinates: 35°58′31.5″N 138°34′42″E
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
PrefectureNagano
DistrictMinamisaku
Area
  Total209.61 km2 (80.93 sq mi)
Population
 (April 2019)
  Total4,009
  Density19/km2 (50/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols 
• TreeLarch
• FlowerRhododendron
• BirdJapanese bush warbler
Phone number0267-78-2121
Address525 Omiyama Kawakami-mura, Minamisaku-gun, Nagano-ken 384-1405
WebsiteOfficial website
Mount Watsugatake from Kawakami village

Geography

Kawakami is located in mountainous eastern Nagano Prefecture, bordered by Yamanashi Prefecture to the south, Gunma Prefecture to the north and Saitama Prefecture to the east. Mount Kinpu (2499 meters) is partly located within this village. The source of the Chikuma River, the longest river in Japan, is in Kawakami.[3] This fact is a point of local pride, as it appears in various school songs.

Much of the village is within the borders of the Chichibu Tama Kai National Park

Surrounding municipalities

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Kawakami has remained relatively steady over the past 50 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1940 5,488    
1950 5,900+7.5%
1960 5,659−4.1%
1970 4,739−16.3%
1980 4,632−2.3%
1990 4,722+1.9%
2000 4,908+3.9%
2010 4,974+1.3%

Climate

The village has a humid continental climate characterized by cool summers, and cold, wet winters (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The average annual temperature in Kawakami is 4.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1954 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.3 °C.[5]

Climate data for Kawakami Village (Akiyama)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.1
(57.4)
16.5
(61.7)
23.0
(73.4)
28.2
(82.8)
29.6
(85.3)
29.1
(84.4)
31.4
(88.5)
33.0
(91.4)
31.7
(89.1)
26.8
(80.2)
22.8
(73.0)
17.0
(62.6)
33.0
(91.4)
Average high °C (°F) 2.0
(35.6)
4.4
(39.9)
7.9
(46.2)
15.0
(59.0)
18.8
(65.8)
22.1
(71.8)
25.2
(77.4)
26.2
(79.2)
22.4
(72.3)
16.5
(61.7)
12.3
(54.1)
5.2
(41.4)
14.8
(58.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4)
−2.8
(27.0)
0.3
(32.5)
6.6
(43.9)
11.6
(52.9)
15.5
(59.9)
19.1
(66.4)
19.5
(67.1)
15.9
(60.6)
9.3
(48.7)
4.1
(39.4)
−1.6
(29.1)
7.7
(45.9)
Average low °C (°F) −10.9
(12.4)
−9.2
(15.4)
−6.1
(21.0)
−0.4
(31.3)
5.5
(41.9)
9.9
(49.8)
14.3
(57.7)
14.4
(57.9)
11.0
(51.8)
3.9
(39.0)
−1.6
(29.1)
−7.1
(19.2)
2.0
(35.6)
Record low °C (°F) −18.1
(−0.6)
−17.7
(0.1)
−16.1
(3.0)
−9.3
(15.3)
−3.7
(25.3)
1.8
(35.2)
6.6
(43.9)
6.2
(43.2)
0.2
(32.4)
−4.8
(23.4)
−9.4
(15.1)
−18.7
(−1.7)
−18.7
(−1.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 21.2
(0.83)
29.9
(1.18)
52.6
(2.07)
50.7
(2.00)
72.4
(2.85)
91.4
(3.60)
147.3
(5.80)
104.6
(4.12)
147.0
(5.79)
130.3
(5.13)
46.7
(1.84)
35.9
(1.41)
929.8
(36.61)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 2.5 4.9 6.2 6.8 7.8 8.1 11.7 7.9 7.2 7.5 5.1 4.0 79.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 163.9 158.9 180.2 182.8 186.8 144.1 147.4 185.6 141.2 141.6 150.6 147.2 1,930.3
Mean daily sunshine hours 5.3 5.6 5.8 6.1 6.0 4.8 4.8 6.0 4.7 4.6 5.0 4.7 5.3
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

"川上村 気象情報(2002~2011)". Retrieved 2016-05-03.</ref>

History

The area of present-day Kawakami was part of ancient Shinano Province. Ruins from the Jomon period, Kofun period and Nara period have been found within the village borders, indicating continuous settlement for thousands of years. The present village of Kawakami was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

Economy

Agriculture, particularly the cultivation of lettuce, and forestry are mainstays of the local economy.

Education

Kawakami has two public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the village government. The village does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

  • The village is not on any national highway

Local attractions

  • Ōmiyama ruins, traces of a Jōmon-period settlement; a National Historic Site

Noted people from Kawakami

References

  1. Kawakami Village official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. "Kawakami Village Home Page". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  3. "The Source of the Chikuma River". Archived from the original on 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  4. Kawakami population statistics
  5. Kawakami climate data
  6. Takanori Kuroda (June 10, 2019). AAAMYYYが語る、Tempalayに入るまでの道のりと正式加入の理由 (in Japanese). Cinra. Retrieved June 28, 2019.


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