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 is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

. , 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 usi ...

of 6,379 in 2360 households, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of 30.7 persons per km². The total area of the village is .

Geography

Achi is located in mountainous far southwestern Nagano Prefecture, bordered by

Gifu Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,991,390 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, ...

to the west. Mount Ena (2191 meters) is on the border of the village with Gifu Prefecture

Surrounding municipalities

*Nagano Prefecture ** Iida ** Nagiso **

Anan Anan or ANAN may refer to: People * Anan (name) Places * Anan, Haute-Garonne, a commune in the Haute-Garonne ''département'', France * Anan, Nagano, a town in Nagano, Japan * Anan, Tokushima, a city in Tokushima, Japan Other uses * ''Anan'' ( ...

** Hiraya ** Shimojō *

** Nakatsugawa

Climate

The town has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cold winters (

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, nota ...

''Dfb''). The average annual temperature in Achi is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Achi population statistics
/ref> the population of Achi has decreased over the past 70 years.

History

The area of present-day Achi was part of ancient

Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, w ...

. The modern villages of Ochi, Chiri and Goka were established on April 1, 1889, by the establishment of the municipalities system. The three villages merged on September 30, 1956, to form the village of Achi. The neighboring village of Namiai was annexed on January 1, 2006. On March 31, 2009, the village of Seinaiji, also in Shimoina District, was

merged Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...

into Achi.

Economy

The economy of Achi is based on agriculture, with

Jerusalem artichoke The Jerusalem artichoke (''Helianthus tuberosus''), also called sunroot, sunchoke, wild sunflower, topinambur, or earth apple, is a species of sunflower native to central North America. It is cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

and

Yacón The yacón (''Smallanthus sonchifolius'') is a species of perennial daisy traditionally grown in the northern and central Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina for its crisp, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots. Their texture and flavour are ver ...

as noted local specialities

Education

Achi has five public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the village government and one private elementary school. The village has one public high school, which is operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

*The village has no passenger railway service.

Highway

Chūō Expressway The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by NEXCO Central. Naming Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route (from Takaido Interchange to Komaki Junction), the Chūō Expressway Na ...

* *

Local attractions

* Misaka Pass, a National Historic Site

Notable people from Achi

Motoichi Kumagai was a Japanese photographer and illustrator of books for children, known for his portrayal of rural and school life. He has illustrated numerous children's books, books containing his photography, and other works. His works have won prizes, begi ...

, photographer *

Taro Achi is a Japanese light novelist and screenwriter from Nagano Prefecture. He won the Silver Prize in the 4th Dengeki Novel Prize for Boku no Chi o Suwanaide. Two of his series (Dokkoida?! and Kage Kara Mamoru!) have been made into anime series. He is ...

, screenwriter, novelist

References

External links

*
Official Website
Villages in Nagano Prefecture {{Nagano-geo-stub