Karuizawa, Nagano

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Karuizawa 軽井沢町
Karuizawa's location in Nagano, Japan.
Karuizawa's location in Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Nagano
District	Kitasaku
Physical characteristics
Area	156.05 km2 (60.25 sq mi)
Population (as of January 2008)
Total	17,833
Density	114 /km2 (295 /sq mi)
Location	36°21′N 138°36′E / 36.35°N 138.6°E / 36.35; 138.6Coordinates: 36°21′N 138°36′E / 36.35°N 138.6°E / 36.35; 138.6
Symbols
Tree	Kobushi Magnolia
Flower	Sakurasō (Primula sieboldii)
Bird	Brown-headed Thrush
Others	Animal: Japanese Squirrel
Flag
Karuizawa Government Office
Mayor	Masayoshi Satō
Address	2381-1 Nagakura, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano-ken 389-0192
Phone number	0267-45-8111
Official website: Town of Karuizawa

Karuizawa (軽井沢町, Karuizawa-machi^?) is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.

As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 17,833 and has a total area of 156.05 square kilometres (60.25 sq mi).

Karuizawa is known throughout Japan as a popular tourist spot. People from Tokyo will travel to Karuizawa to get away from the city especially in summer. There is a Shinkansen station as well as a large outlet store shopping mall. It is also known for its historic shopping street known as "Ginza dōri" or "Kyū-dō" (Ginza Street, or the Old Road).

Karuizawa hosted equestrian events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The town also hosted curling in the 1998 Winter Olympics. To date, it is the only city in the world having hosted both Summer and Winter Olympic events.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Surrounding municipalities 2 History 2.1 Timeline 3 Sister cities 4 Education 5 Geography 6 External links

[edit] Geography

• Highest elevation: 2,568 metres (8,425 ft) (Top of Mount Asama)
• Lowest elevation: 798.7 metres (2,620.4 ft)

[edit] Surrounding municipalities

• Nagano Prefecture
  • Saku
  • Kitasaku District: Miyota
• Gunma Prefecture
  • Takasaki
  • Annaka
  • Kanra District: Shimonita
  • Agatsuma District: Naganohara, Tsumagoi

[edit] History

• Edo Period - Served as a post station town on Nakasendō, called Karuisawa-shuku at that time
• 1886 - British theologian Alexander Croft Shaw introduced Karuizawa to fellow expatriates as a getaway spot, particularly as an escape from the summer heat of Tokyo
• 1922 - Gained town status. The village of Higashinagakura becomes the town of Karuizawa
• 1951 - Selected as International Cultural and Tourism City.
• 1964 - 1964 Summer Olympics (Equestrian)
• October 1, 1997 - Nagano Shinkansen opens
• 1998 - 1998 Winter Olympics (Curling)
• 2004 - Mount Asama erupts

[edit] Timeline

• 1872 - The village Usuitoge from Saku District, Nagano merged into the village of Karuizawa
• 1873 - The town of Usuitoge broke off from the village of Karuizawa
• August 2, 1876 - The villages of Kutsukake, Shiozawanitta, Karijuku, Narusawanitta, and Yui merged to form the village of Nagakura. The village of Hatsuji in Saku District absorbed the village of Matorikaya
• January 14, 1879 - Kitasaku District Government enforced, and the town of Usuitoge, and the villages of Karuizawa, Nagakura, Oiwake belongs to Kitasaku District
• April 1, 1889 - The city, town, and village status enforced. The town of Usuitoge, and the villages of Karuizawa, and the areas of the former villages of Kutsukake, Shiozawanitta, and Karijuku from the village of Nagakura merged to form the village of Higashinagakura in Kitasaku District, and the areas of the former villages of Narusawanitta and Yui in the village of Nagakura, and the villages of Hatsuji and Oiwake merged to form the village of Nishinagakura in Kitasaku District
• August 1, 1923 - The village of Higashinagakura gained town status to become the town of Karuizawa. (※The pre-town areas before gaining the town status is known as Kyu-Karuizawa.)
• May 8, 1942 - The village of Nishinagakura merged into the town
• February 1, 1957 - The town absorbed Serizawa area from the former village of Goga, which was absorbed by the town of Miyoda
• April 1, 1959 - Kajikazawa area from the former village of Oiwake broke off and went to the town of Miyoda

[edit] Sister cities

• Campos do Jordão (São Paulo, Brazil)
• Whistler (British Columbia, Canada)
• Baguio City (Benguet, Philippines)

[edit] Education

• Karuizawa High School (長野県軽井沢高等学校)

[edit] Geography

• Mount Asama (浅間山)
• Usui Pass (碓氷峠)

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Karuizawa, Nagano

• Official site (at Nagano) (Japanese)
• Karuizawa De Mall (Japanese)
• Karuizawa Hotel (Japanese)
• Karuizawa Internet (Japanese)