Naganohara

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
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Gunma
District	Agatsuma
Area
• Total	133.85 km2 (51.68 sq mi)
Population  (January 2020)
• Total	5,495
• Density	41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC 9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Japanese Larch
- Flower	Azalea
- Bird	Copper pheasant
Phone number	0279-82-2244
Address	66-3 Naganohara, Naganohara-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma-ken 377-1392
Website	Official website

New Naganohara town office

Festival at Kawahara onsen

Naganohara (長野原町, Naganohara-machi) is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.

Population

As of 31 January 2020, the town had an estimated population of 5,495 in 5630 households, and a population density of 41 persons per km².

Size

The total area of the town is 133.85 square kilometres (51.68 sq mi). The controversial Yamba Dam project is located within Naganohara.

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.

• Rivers: Agatsuma River, Shirasuna River, Kuma River

Surrounding municipalities

Gunma Prefecture

• Higashiagatsuma
• Kusatsu
• Nakanojō
• Takasaki
• Tsumagoi

Nagano Prefecture

• Karuizawa

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.

Demographics

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

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
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	6,017	−13.3%
2020	5,095	−15.3%

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

• Kawarayu-Onsen - Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi - Gunma-Ōtsu - Haneo

Highway

• National Route 144
• National Route 145
• National Route 146
• National Route 292
• National Route 406

Local attractions

• Agatsuma Gorge, a National Place of Scenic Beauty
• Asama Volcano Museum
• Kawarayu Onsen

External links

• Media related to Naganohara, Gunma at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Website (in Japanese)