Naganohara, Gunma

Naganohara (長野原町, Naganohara-machi) is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2020, the town had an estimated population of 5,495 in 5630 households,[1] and a population density of 41 persons per km². The total area of the town is 133.85 square kilometres (51.68 sq mi). The controversial Yanba Dam project is located within Naganohara.[2]

Naganohara

長野原町
Town
old Naganohara town office
Flag
Seal
Location of Naganohara in Gunma Prefecture
Naganohara
 
Coordinates: 36°33′8.2″N 138°39′15.3″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureGunma
DistrictAgatsuma
Area
 • Total133.85 km2 (51.68 sq mi)
Population
 (January 2020)
 • Total5,495
 • Density41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeJapanese Larch
- FlowerAzalea
- BirdCopper pheasant
Phone number0279-82-2244
Address66-3 Naganohara, Naganohara-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma-ken 377-1392
WebsiteOfficial website
new Naganohara town office
Festival at Kawahara onsen

Geography

Located in the northwestern portion of Gunma Prefecture, almost all of Naganohara has an elevation higher than 500 meters. The town has Mount Kusatsu-Shirane (2171m) to the north and Mount Asama (2568m) to the south.

Surrounding municipalities

Gunma Prefecture

Nagano Prefecture

Climate

Naganohara has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Naganohara is 7.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1453 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 20.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around -4.7 °C.[3]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Naganohara has declined over the past 70 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 5,057—    
1930 5,509+8.9%
1940 5,802+5.3%
1950 8,018+38.2%
1960 8,113+1.2%
1970 7,342−9.5%
1980 7,237−1.4%
1990 6,878−5.0%
2000 6,939+0.9%
2010 6,011−13.4%

History

The area of present-day Naganohara has human remains from the Japanese Paleolithic through Jōmon periods, although archaeological findings from the Kofun period are scarce compared with surrounding areas. During the Edo period, the area was part of the hatamoto-administered territory within Kōzuke Province.

Naganohara Town was created within Agatsuma District of Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration.

Government

Naganohara has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 10 members. Naganohara collectively with the other municipalities in Agatsuma District, contributes two members to the Gunma Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Gunma 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Naganohara is heavily dependent on agriculture.

Education

Naganohara has four public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high schools operated by the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Agatsuma Line

Highway

Local attractions

References
  1. "Naganohara Town official statistics" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Dam cancellation leaves local residents high and dry
  3. Naganohara climate data
  4. Higashiagatsuma population statistics

Media related to Naganohara, Gunma at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.