Azumino

For the geographical name of a part of Matsumoto Basin, see Azumidaira. For other uses, see Azumino (disambiguation).

Azumino 安曇野市
City
Azumino City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Azumino in Nagano
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Nagano
Government
• - Mayor	Munehiro Miyazawa
Area
• Total	331.78 km2 (128.10 sq mi)
Population  (October 2016)
• Total	95,308
• Density	287/km2 (740/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Zelkova serrata
• Flower	Wasabi
Phone number	0263-71-2000
Address	4932-26 Toyoshina, Azumino-shi, Nagano-ken 399-8205
Website	www.city.azumino.nagano.jp

Mount Jonen in Azumino

Azumino (安曇野市, Azumino-shi) is a city located in central Nagano Prefecture, in the Chūbu region of Japan. As of 1 October 2016, the city had an estimated population of 95,308 and a population density of 287 persons per km². Its total area was 331.78 square kilometres (128.10 sq mi).

Etymology of Azumino

Azumino is a combination of two words, "Azumi" and "no". "Azumi" comes from the Azumi people, who are said to have moved to the "no" (plain) in ancient times. The Azumi people originally lived in northern Kyushu, and were famed for their skills in fishing and navigation. "The Azumi people" can be translated as "the people who live on the sea." The reason why the seafaring people migrated to this mountainous region is a mystery.

Geography

Azumino is located into the Azumino Plateau on the northern end of the Matsumoto Basin, between two mountain ranges to the west and east. The range of mountains on the western border is known as the Northern Alps (Hida Mountains) and is popular among hikers all over Japan. To the south is the city of Matsumoto, Nagano prefecture's second largest city. To the north lies the city of Ōmachi, and north of Ōmachi is the village of Hakuba. Hakuba was the site of many of the ski events during the 1998 Winter Olympic Games. Mount Jōnen at 2,857 metres (9,373 ft) is the highest elevation in the city.

Surrounding municipalities

• Nagano Prefecture
  • Matsumoto
  • Ōmachi
  • Ikeda
  • Matsukawa
  • Chikuhoku
  • Ikusaka

Azumino city min/max temperature & rainfall
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     41     4 −6     48     5 −5     85     10 −2     77     18 4     102     23 10     132     26 15     141     29 19     97     31 20     150     25 16     104     19 8     58     13 2     33     7 −3 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.6     40 22     1.9     42 22     3.3     50 29     3     64 38     4     73 49     5.2     78 59     5.6     84 66     3.8     87 68     5.9     78 60     4.1     67 47     2.3     56 35     1.3     45 27 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

History

The area of present-day Azumino was part of ancient Shinano Province. The area was part of the holdings of Matsumoto Domain during the Edo period. The modern city of Azumino was established on October 1, 2005 by the merger of the town of Akashina (from Higashichikuma District), the towns of Hotaka and Toyoshina, and the villages of Horigane and Misato (all from Minamiazumi District).

Education

Azumino has ten public elementary schools and seven public middle schools. There are four public high schools operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Ōito Line
  • Azusabashi - Hitoichiba - Nakagaya - Minami-Toyoshina - Toyoshina - Hakuyachō - Hotaka - Nagano - Azumi-Oiwake
• JR East – Shinonoi Line
  • Tazawa - Akashina

Highway

• Nagano Expressway
• Japan National Route 19
• Japan National Route 143
• Japan National Route 147
• Japan National Route 403

Sister cities

Domestic

• Misato, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture
• Edogawa, Tokyo
• Musashino, Tokyo
• Manazuru, Kanagawa
• Sangō, Nara
• Higashi-ku, Fukuoka

International

• - Kramsach, Austria
• - Collierville, Tennessee, United states

Local attractions

Daio Wasabi Farm

• Azumino is home to the world's largest wasabi farm, Daio Wasabi Farm.
• Jōkyō Gimin Memorial Museum

Notable people from Azumino

• Keikoku Fujimori (1835–1905), artist & educator
• Kigenji Iguchi (1870–1938), educator
• Kiyoshi Kiyosawa (1890–1945), journalist
• Kei Kumai (1930–2007), film director
• Kyūsaku Matsuzawa (1855–1887), people's rights activist
• Risaku Mutai (1890–1974), philosopher
• Rokuzan Ogiwara (1879–1910), sculptor
• Aizō Sōma (1870–1954), founded Nakamuraya
• Tada Kasuke (?–1687), executed farmer
• Setsuro Takahashi (1914–2007), lacquerware artist
• Etsujirō Uehara (1877–1962), political scientist & politician
• Yoshimi Usui (1905–1987), editor & writer
• Masaaki Iinuma (1912–1941), pilot & aviation pioneer

External links

Media related to Azumino, Nagano at Wikimedia Commons

• Azumino City official website Template:Ja icon
• Takahashi Setsuro Art Museum of Azumino
• Joukyou Gimin Memorial Museum
• Azumino official tourist information website "Explore Azumino"