Chino (茅野市, Chino-shi) is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2019[update], the city had an estimated population of 55,673 in 23,236 households,[1] and a population density of 210 persons per km². The total area of the city is 266.59 square kilometres (102.93 sq mi).
Chino
茅野市 | |
|---|---|
 Chino City Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Chino in Nagano Prefecture | |
  Chino | |
| Coordinates: 35°59′43.9″N 138°9′31.7″E / 35.995528°N 138.158806°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) |
| Prefecture | Nagano |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Chiyokazu Yanagidaira (since April 2007) |
| Area | |
• Total | 266.59 km2 (102.93 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 800 m (2,600 ft) |
| Population (March 2019) | |
• Total | 55,673 |
| • Density | 210/km2 (540/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Silver birch |
| • Flower | Japanese gentian |
| Phone number | 026-273-1111 |
| Address | 2-6-1 Tsukahara-cho, Chino-shi, Nagano-ken 391-8501 |
| Website | Official website |
Geography
edit
Chino is located in a mountainous area of the east-central Nagano prefecture. Notable mountains within the city limits include Mount Yatsugatake, Mount Tateshina, and Mount Kirigamine. Chino city hall is located at an elevation of 801 meters and is thus the highest city hall location in Japan.[citation needed]
Climate
editThe city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Chino is 10.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1310 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.8 °C.[2] The mountainous portions of the city are considered part of the snow country of Japan, with heavy accumulations of snow in winter.
Surrounding municipalities
editDemographics
editPer Japanese census data,[3] the population of Chino has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 32,326 | — |
| 1950 | 38,260 | +18.4% |
| 1960 | 35,220 | −7.9% |
| 1970 | 36,200 | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 43,942 | +21.4% |
| 1990 | 50,064 | +13.9% |
| 2000 | 54,841 | +9.5% |
| 2010 | 56,415 | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 56,400 | −0.0% |
History
editThe area of present-day Chino was part of ancient Shinano Province and was part of Suwa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. The village of Eimei in Suwa District was established by the creation of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was elevated to town status and renamed Chino on May 3, 1948. On February 1, 1955, the town of Chino annexed the neighboring villages of Miyakawa, Kanzawa, Tamagawa, Toyohira, Azumino, Kitayama, Kohigashi, and Yonezawa. Chino was elevated to city status on August 1, 1958.[4]
In 2018, the Chino Municipal Government created a "Bond Diary" program (Yui Nikki, also known as Kōkan Nikki) for citizens over the age of 20. The program romantically matches area residents with non-residents via "old fashioned" means of the written word.[5]
Government
editChino has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.
Economy
editChino is noted for its production of kanten, a type of agar, and the growing of celery and lettuce. Manufacturing includes precision instruments and electronics. The mountains of the Tateshina Highlands are a popular destination for seasonal tourism.[6]
Education
editChino has nine public elementary schools and four public middle schools. There is one public high school operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education and one private high school. The Tokyo University of Science, Suwa is also located in Chino.
Transportation
editRailway
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Highway
edit
Sister city relations
edit
- Asahi, Chiba since 3 December 1974, updated on 29 October 2015 due to Asahi's amalgament of neighboring townships.[7][8]- - Sōja, Okayama since 26 January 1984.[9][10]
- - Isehara, Kanagawa since 21 January 1986.[11][12]
- Longmont, Colorado, USA since 25 May 1990.[13]
Partner cities for the Mutual Evacuation Treaty
editAwara, Fukui since 17 August 2014.[14]
Local attractions
edit- Komagata ruins, Jōmon period settlement trace, National Historic Site
- Mount Yatsugatake
- Lake Shirakaba
- Suwa Taisha
- Togariishi Museum of Jōmon Archaeology
- Uenodan stone age ruins, Jōmon period settlement trace, National Historic Site
References
edit- ^ Chino city official statistics Archived 2019-02-23 at the Wayback Machine(in Japanese)
- ^ Chino climate data
- ^ Chino population statistics
- ^ Chino city official history Archived 2018-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese)
- ^ "In Digital Age, Singles In Japan Returning To Journal Exchanges To Find Love". Japan Times. 4 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ^ Campbell, Allen; Nobel, David S (1993). Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha. p. 192. ISBN 4-06-205938-X.
- ^ "Shimai toshi - Nagano-ken Chino-shi" [Chino, Nagano - Sister cities]. Asahi City Office (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "Shimaitoshi Chiba-ken Asahi-shi" [Asahi, Chiba - our sister cities]. Chino City Office (in Japanese). 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "The Sister City Program" (PDF). Sōja City Office (in Japanese and English). p. 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "Shimai toshi - Okayama-ken Soja-shi" [Soja, Okayama - our sister cities]. Chino City Office (in Japanese). 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "Shimai toshi: Nagano-ken Chino-shi" [Chino, Nagano, our sister city]. Introduction to Isehara (in Japanese). Isehara City Office. 2014-09-04. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "Shimai toshi - Kanagawa-ken Isehara-shi" [Isehara, Kanagawa - our sister cities]. Chino City Office (in Japanese). 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ "Shimai toshi Amerika gasshukoku Rongumonto-shi (Kororado-shu)" [Longmont, USA (Colorado) - our sister cities]. Chino City Office (in Japanese). 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- ^ あわら市記者懇談会 (PDF). Awara City (in Japanese). 5 August 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
External links
edit
- Official Website (in Japanese)