13,584.67 square kilometers
2,166,164 as of December 31, 1991
Nagano Prefecture is situated at almost the geographical center
of Japan, on the main
island of Honshu. Neighboring prefectures include Saitama and
Gunma to the east, Yamanashi,
Shizuoka, and Aichi to the south, Gifu and Toyama to the west,
and Niigata to the north. Spanning
120km east to west, and 212km north to south, Nagano Prefecture
ranks as the third largest prefecture
after Iwate and Fukushima.
Surrounded by the Japanese Alps, which reach heights in excess
of 3000 meters, Nagano is
referred to as "The Roof of Japan". Many rivers that run through
the rest of Japan originate in these
mountains. Such rivers include the Tenryu, Kiso, Chikuma and Sai
River. The prefecture is divided
into six regions: Northern, Eastern, Central, Kiso Valley, Ina
Valley, and Suwa Lake area.
The mountainous geography of Nagano Prefecture has a profound
effect on fluctuations
in temperature, particularly in the Suwa and Central areas. Generally,
rainfall is low, with the Ina
Valley receiving the greatest amount. Snowfall is heaviest near
the prefectural borders, and can reach
in excess of 150cm in depth.
The prefectural flower is the rindo (Gentian, or bellflower).
This beautiful purple flower
blooms from September to November. Seen on the lower mountain
slopes, it evokes feelings of autumn.
The prefectural tree is the shirakaba (White Birch). This white-trunked
tree can be found in the highlands.
Its timber is used for pulp, firewood, and folk crafts. The prefectural
bird is the raichou (Snow Grouse).
A protected species, this mountain bird can often be seen nestled
among pine trees. The Snow Grouse
is slightly larger than a pigeon. The prefectural animal is the
kamoshika (Japanese mountain goat).
Comparable in size to a sheep, this animal lives high up in the
Alps and other mountain ranges. It is
also a protected species. The prefectural song is Shinano no kuni
(Shinano Country).
Electric and precision equipment are the main manufactured goods
of Nagano. According to
industrial statistics of 1990, the total shipments of manufactured
industrial products of Nagano ranked
seventeenth in the nation, and totalled six-trillion five-hundred
and forty-six billion yen. Nagano leads the
nation in the production of electric calculators, communications
equipment, microscopes, and camera lenses.
Horticulture forms the core of Nagano's rich and varied agricultural
industry, making it a major supplier to
the larger metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Nagoya. The main products
include varieties of lettuce, cabbage,
apples, pears, grapes, and more recently, persimmons. The variety
and rich abundance of fruit in particular,
has made Nagano a prominant "fruit land" among other fruit-producing
prefectures. 