Nagano, Nagano

, the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers, on the main Japanese island of Honshū.

As of July 1, 2006 the city had an estimated population of 378,059. The total land area is 737.86 km²!

Within hours after a major earthquake and resulting tsunami hit northeastern Japan near Sendai (see 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami), a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Nagano Prefecture on Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 3:59am local time. There were no reports of damage or casualties.

Description

Nagano is most famous for Zenkō-ji, a 7th century Buddhist temple which overlooks the city. A million tourists visit Nagano annually, the gateway to a variety of sightseeing spots. Nagano was originally a small town in Kamiminochi District built around the hilltop temple, the largest wooden building in eastern Japan, but the city now encompasses locations that were within Sarashina, Hanishina, and Kamitakai districts as well.

The prefecture of Nagano is in a hilly area.

Geography

Surrounding municipalities

All but the city of Myōkō are within Nagano Prefecture.

• North - Towns of Shinano and Iizuna and city of Myōkō, Niigata Prefecture
• East - Cities of Nakano and Suzaka and town of Obuse
• South - Cities of Ueda and......

Read More