Suwa, Nagano

Suwa
Suwa; 諏訪市
	— City —
	Onbashira in Suwa Taisha, which is held once every six years
	; Flag
	; Flag
	Location of Suwa in Nagano
	Suwa
	Coordinates: 36°2′N 138°7′E / 36.033°N 138.117°ECoordinates: 36°2′N 138°7′E / 36.033°N 138.117°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Nagano
	Government
• Mayor	Katsufumi Yamada
	Area
• Total	109.91 km2 (42.44 sq mi)
	Population (October 1, 2010)
• Total	51,084
• Density	468.40/km2 (1,213.2/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Flower	Iris and Lily
Phone number	0266-52-4141
Address	1-22-30 Takashima, Suwa-shi, Nagano-ken; 392-8511
Website	City of Suwa

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Suwa (諏訪市, Suwa-shi^?) is a city located in Nagano, Japan.

As of October 1, 2010, the city had an estimated population of 51,084 and a density of 468.40 persons per km². The total area of the city is 109.06 km².

The city was founded on August 10, 1941, after the union of Kami-Suwa town, Toyoda village, and Shiga village. It is located on the shores of Lake Suwa.

The Suwa region is the leading industrial area of Nagano and was once known as "The Oriental Switzerland" in Japan for its highly developed precision machinery industry.^[1] Seiko Epson Corporation, a manufacturer of information-related equipment and Seiko timepieces, is headquartered in Suwa.^[2]

Suwa has a sister city in the United States: St. Louis, Missouri. There, some Japanese businesses with U.S. operations include Aluman Foils, Inc., Consolidated Gran & Dick Proctor Imports, Inc., Mitsubishi Trading Co., Marubeni, Nissho-Iwai, Bio Kyowa Chemical Co., and Koken Manufacturing.^[3]

[edit] Prominent features

The town is famous for its ryokans (onsen hotels, i.e., traditional Japanese guesthouses at hot springs). It forms the backdrop for Sayo Masuda's Autobiography of a Geisha.

Annual fireworks displays are held in August and September. The displays take place on the shores of the lake, and many tens of thousands of spectators enjoy the shows from the shores. Trains are the recommended way to get to Suwa on those days, though buses are significantly less expensive.

Every six years (in the years of the Tiger and the Monkey), Suwa hosts a Shinto festival called Onbashira (literally, "the honored log"). As part of the event, very large trees up in the hills are felled and brought down into the valley, pulling them with ropes and sliding them down hills. To demonstrate their bravery, young men from the area ride on the logs as they hurtle down the slopes.

Suwa houses one of four large Shinto shrines.

Another landmarke site is Omiwatari, which case appear less than Celsius 10 degrees below for many days, and appear on the surface of ice thickness 10 centimeter to 50 centimeters wide in Suwa Lake.^{[citation needed]}