Azumino

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

Azumino (安曇野市, Azumino-shi) is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

As of August 1, 2009, the city has an estimated population of 99,307 and a population density of 299 persons per km². The total area is 331.82 km².

The modern city of Azumino was established on October 1, 2005, from 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). The city's population is near 100,000 people and it is the 6th most populous in Nagano Prefecture.

Azumino is home to the world's largest wasabi farm, Daio Wasabi Farm.

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, named after the plain where it is located, lies 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, as well as the village of Hakuba. Hakuba was the site of many of the ski events during the 1998 Winter Olympic Games. (This created a lot of traffic through the Azumino area, spurring a great deal of construction.)

Sister cities

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

Notable Azumino Natives

• 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"