Okaya, Nagano
Okaya (岡谷市, Okaya-shi) is a city located in Nagano, Japan. It was founded on 1 April 1936.
As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 52,556, with 19,536 households and a population density of 616.93 persons per km². The total area is 85.19 km².
The city is twinned with Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA, and in 2005 donated forty trees to it, honoring forty years of association between the two cities.[1]
From the Meiji period through into the start of the Shōwa period (1868-1930), Okaya was one of Japan's largest producers of export-quality silk, thanks to the introduction of a new silk-reeling machine from overseas.[citation needed]
After the second world war, Okaya established itself as a city of precision machinery, focusing on the manufacturing of products such as watches and cameras.
The region's local industry is predominantly made up of medium and small-sized businesses, but also some big-name businesses such as Seiko Epson, Olympus and Kyocera.
In addition, the city is known for its Onbashira and Taiko Festivals, as the birthplace of modern day skating[citation needed], and unagi (eel) dishes.
See also
- Okaya & Co., Ltd.
- Okaya Station, served by JR East
Notes
- ^ "Celebrating 40 Years as Sister Cities". Okaya International Exchange Association. Retrieved 2008-02-24. [dead link]
External links
- Official website Template:Ja icon
- Official website Template:En icon
- Official website Template:Pt icon
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