is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the city 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 20,118 in 7372 households, 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 99 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It markets itself as "Japan's Hometown" and is known as the "Little Kyoto of Snow Country".

Geography

Iiyama is located in the mountainous far northern portion of Nagano Prefecture, and is bordered by

Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area at . Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and ...

to the north. The area is known for severe winters with heavy snowfall. The

Chikuma River The , known as the in its upper reaches, is the longest and widest river in Japan and the third largest by basin area (behind the Tone River and Ishikari River). It is located in northeastern Honshu, rising in the Japanese Alps and flowing g ...

(the longest river in Japan) runs through the centre of the area and becomes known as the

Shinano River The , known as the in its upper reaches, is the longest and widest river in Japan and the third largest by basin area (behind the Tone River and Ishikari River). It is located in northeastern Honshu, rising in the Japanese Alps and flowing ...

when it passes into Niigata Prefecture.

Surrounding municipalities

*Nagano Prefecture ** Nakano ** Kijimadaira **

Nozawaonsen is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 3,653 in 1395 households and a population density of 63 persons per km². The total area of the village is . Geography Nozawaonsen is located in m ...

** Shinano ** Sakae *

** Jōetsu ** Myōkō

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild 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, notabl ...

''Dfa''). The average annual temperature in Iiyama is . The average annual rainfall is with January as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . All of the city is considered part of the

snow country is a novel by the Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata. The novel is considered a classic work of Japanese literature and was among the three novels the Nobel Committee cited in 1968, when Kawabata was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Writ ...

of Japan, with heavy accumulations of snow in winter.

History

The area of present-day Iiyama was part of ancient Shinano Province. The area was part of the holdings of

Iiyama Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in northern Shinano Province, Honshū. The domain was centered at Iiyama Castle, located in what is now part of the city of Iiyama in Nagano Prefecture.

during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...

, and the core of the city was the ''

jōkamachi The term refers to a type of urban structures in Japan in which the city surrounds a feudal lord's castle. These cities did not necessarily form around castles after the Edo period; some are known as Jin'yamachi, cities that have evolved around J ...

'' surrounding Iiyama Castle, held by a cadet branch of the

Honda clan The is a Japanese family that claims descent from the medieval court noble Fujiwara no Kanemichi. The family settled in Mikawa and served the Matsudaira clan as retainers. Later, when the main Matsudaira family became the Tokugawa clan, the Ho ...

. The modern town of Iiyama was established within

Shimominochi District, Nagano is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 7,643 and a density of 24.96 persons per km2. The total area is 306.25 km2. Towns and villages * Sakae Mergers *On April 1, 2005 the ...

with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to city status on August 1, 1954 by the merger of the town of Iiyama with neighboring villages of Akitsu, Tokiwa, Yanagihara, Tozama, Kijima and Zuiho. The villages of Ōta and Okayama were also annexed in 1955.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Iiyama has declined over the past 70 years.

Government

Iiyama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...

city legislature of 16 members.

Economy

The economy of Iiyama is primarily agricultural with emphasis on rice, asparagus, mushrooms and potatoes. Manufacturing includes production of ''

Butsudan A , sometimes spelled Butudan, is a shrine commonly found in temples and homes in Japanese Buddhist cultures. A ''butsudan'' is either a defined, often ornate platform or simply a wooden cabinet sometimes crafted with doors that enclose and p ...

'', skis and electronics. Seasonal tourism to ski resorts and hot springs also make a major contribution. The TV and electronics manufacturer Iiyama was founded in the city in 1972, although, after a series of mergers, the company is no longer headquartered there. The old office continues to be used as a manufacturing centre for Iiyama's parent company, Mouse Computer.

Education

Iiyama has seven public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has one public high school operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company -

Hokuriku Shinkansen The is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), connecting Tokyo with in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between and in Nagano Pr ...

** *

East Japan Railway Company -

Iiyama Line The is a railway line in Japan linking Toyono Station in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture and Echigo-Kawaguchi Station in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japa ...

** – – – – – – – –

Highway

Jōshin-etsu Expressway The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming is a kanji acronym consisting of 3 characters, each representing the former names of the prefectures that the route traverses. consist ...

* * *

International relations

* –

Futian District Futian District () is one of the nine districts comprising the city of Shenzhen, China. The district is home to the government and Municipal Committee of Shenzhen, as well as the city's central business district (CBD). Name There are two theori ...

Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...

, China – friendship city since July 10, 2014.

Local attractions

*There are many well known ski resorts in the area. These include

Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort is a skiing venue located in Nozawaonsen, Nagano, Japan. Nozawa Onsen Village is located at the foot of the ski resort, which spans across three main areas. The resort is a large ski area that opened over seventy years ago. Covering , the sout ...

, Madarao Sympathique (now closed), Madarao Kogen, Tangram Ski Circus, Togari Onsen, and Hokuryuko *The is a Designated Cultural Landscape of Japan. *Iiyama also hosts a number of popular festivals such as the Iiyama Snow Festival and Kamakura Snow Hut Festival in February and Iiyama Dontokoi in August. *The Shinetsu Trail, that runs through Iiyama along the border between Nagano prefecture and Niigata prefecture, is a popular hiking spot in summer. *In February 2015, Guinness World Records confirmed that the city had officially broken the record for 'most snowmen built in an hour.'

Notable people from Iiyama

Naoki Inose is a Japanese politician, journalist, historian, social critic and biographer of literary figures such as Yukio Mishima and Osamu Dazai. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Tokyo from June 2007Jun Hongo"Ishihara's new right-hand man settles in."'' ...

– author and former Tokyo governor

References

External links

*
Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Nagano Prefecture Cultural Landscapes of Japan