is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 753 in 378 household, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

of 2.4 persons per km². The total area of the village is . At present, Ōtaki's land area is 95% forestland; 86% of which is designated national forest.

Geography

Ōtaki is located in the Kiso Mountains of southwest Nagano Prefecture, bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the west.

Mount Ontake , also referred to as , is the 14th highest mountain and second highest volcano in Japan (after Mount Fuji) at . It is included in ''100 Famous Japanese Mountains''. Description Mt. Ontake is located around northeast of Nagoya, and around 200& ...

(3067 meters) is on the northern border of the village. Makio Dam is located within the village.

Surrounding municipalities

*Nagano Prefecture ** Agematsu ** Kiso (town) **

Ōkuwa is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 3,693 in 1558 households, and a population density of 16 persons per km². The total area of the village is . Geography Ōkuwa is located in the ...

* Gifu Prefecture ** Gero ** Nakatsugawa

Demographics

Demographically, the population structure of Ōtaki is similar to that found in rural areas across Japan; a rising elderly population coupled with a decline in overall population. Per Japanese census data, the population of Ōtaki has declined rapidly over the past 50 years.

Climate

The village has a climate characterized by warm and humid summers, and cold winters with very heavy snowfall (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Dfb''). The average annual temperature in Ōtaki is 8.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1883 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 20.95 °C, and lowest in January, at around -4.3 °C.Ōtaki climate data
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History

The area of present-day Ōtaki was part of ancient Shinano Province, and the name of Ōtaki appears in a 1504 record as part of the Chikuma region of Shinano. The present village of Ōtaki was incorporated on April 1, 1889 by the establishment of the modern municipalities system. In 1917, construction begins on the Ōtaki Forest Railroad (王�
森林鉄道
The railroad was discontinued on June 30, 1975. On May 1, 1968, Chikuma District was renamed Kiso District. On September 14, 1984 the 1984 Otaki earthquake caused a section of Mount Ontake to crumble and flow into the Ōtaki Valley, with 29 people reported dead or missing and 87 homes destroyed.

Economy

Though tourism remains the primary industry in Ōtaki, tourist numbers (including skiers and worshipers) have declined in recent years. After tourism, manufacturing jobs are the most prevalent, followed finally by agriculture. Ōtaki is struggling economically, due in large part to public debt accrued through the building and management o
Ontake 2240
ski hill. For 2008 roughly 3/4 of Ōtaki's annual budget is slated for administrative and financial operations, with almost a quarter of this being used to pay back public debt. This leaves only a fraction of funds for use in providing basic services such as sanitation, health, and education. Major cuts have been made to the salaries of village employees and to money spent social, cultural, and educational activities.

Education

Ōtaki has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the town government. The village does not have a high school

Geography

Surrounding municipalities

Demographics

Climate

History

Economy

Education

Transportation

Railway

Highway

References

External links