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

Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nar ...

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 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 usi ...

of 101,649 in 47493 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 930 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Kawachinagano is located in the southeastern part of Osaka prefecture, separated from Nara and Wakayama Prefectures by the Izumi Mountains and

Mount Kongō is a mountain in the Kawachi region of Osaka Prefecture, Kansai, Japan. It is near Mount Yamato Katsuragi. The mountain has lent its name to a series of naval ships and ship classes: the Imperial Japanese Navy's 1877 ironclad ''Kongō''; ...

. The city is roughly triangular in area with the apex at the north. Approximately 70 percent of the city area is forested, and there are two major rivers: the Ishikawa (the larger) and the Amamigawa (a tributary of the

Yamato River The is a river which flows through Nara Prefecture and Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is designated Class A by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The river flows via towns: *Nara Prefecture ** Yamatokōriyama *Os ...

). In the southern foothills, the tourist name "Okukawachi" is used, and there are many historical sites and buildings. The city center it is about 30 minutes to

Namba Station is a name shared by two railway stations in the Namba district of Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. One is owned by Nankai Electric Railway, while the other is by the Osaka Metro. The names of both stations are written in ''hiragana'' on signage with ...

in central Osaka and about one hour to

Kansai International Airport Kansai International Airport ( ja, 関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō) commonly known as is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and ...

. Much of the city is within the borders of the

Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park is a Quasi-National Park in Nara, Ōsaka, and Wakayama Prefectures, Japan. It was established in 1958. Places of interest * Mount Ikoma, Mount Kongō, , , Hōzan-ji, Taima-dera, , the burial place of Shōtoku Taishi, the ruins of , Chihaya ...

Neighboring municipalities

Osaka Prefecture *

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...

* Izumi *

Ōsakasayama 260px, Sayama Pond is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 158,465 in 26128 households and a population density of 4900 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Ōsakasayama is locate ...

Tondabayashi is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 108803 in 51632 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Tondabayashi is located in the sout ...

* Chihayaakasaka Nara Prefecture * Gojō Wakayama Prefecture * Hashimoto * Katsuragi

Climate

Kawachinagano has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kawachinagano is 13.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1475 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.4 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kawachinagano increased steadily over the course of the 20th century and has seen gradual decline in the 21st.

History

The area of the modern city of Kawachinagano was within ancient

Kawachi Province was a province of Japan in the eastern part of modern Osaka Prefecture. It originally held the southwestern area that was split off into Izumi Province. It was also known as . Geography The area was radically different in the past, with Kawac ...

. Evidence of continuous human settlement since the

Japanese Paleolithic The is the period of human inhabitation in Japan predating the development of pottery, generally before 10,000 BC. The starting dates commonly given to this period are from around 40,000 BC; although any date of human presence before 35,000 BC ...

period has been found. Numerous ''

kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典� ...

burial mounds A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones built ...

were built in the area during the

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

,and the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...

scholar and diplomat

Takamuko no Kuromaro was a Japanese scholar and diplomat of the Asuka period. The Takamuko clan are descended from Cao Pi. Karumauro traveled to China with Ono no Imoko as ''kenzuishi'' representing Empress Suiko in 608.Nussbaum, "Kentōshi" at He remained in China ...

came from this area. During the

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

and

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

, numerous Buddhist temples were built, including Kanshin-ji and Kongō-ji. During the

Nanboku-chō period The Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, ''Nanboku-chō jidai'', "North and South court period", also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period), spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Mur ...

, the area was the site of many conflicts between the

Northern Court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. The present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the Northern Cou ...

and the

Southern Court The were a set of four emperors (Emperor Go-Daigo and his line) whose claims to sovereignty during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392 were usurped by the Northern Court. This period ended with the Southern Court definitivel ...

. 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 character ...

much of the area came under the control of

Sayama Domain was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Kawachi Province in what is now the southeastern portion of modern-day Osaka Prefecture. It was centered around the Sayama ''jin'ya'' which was locat ...

Zeze Domain was a '' fudai'' feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in southern Ōmi Province, in the Kansai region of central Honshu. The domain was centered at Zeze Castle, located on the shore of Lake Biwa in w ...

and

Kanbe Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Ise Province in what is part of now modern-day Suzuka, Mie. It was centered around Kanbe Castle. Kanbe Domain was controlled by ''fudai daimyō'' clans through ...

. After the

Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, the area became part of Osaka Prefecture from 1881. The villages of Nagano, Nishigori, Shinno (later renamed Chiyoda), Amano, Mikkaichi, Kawakami, Amami, and Kaga-Tamura and Takamukai were created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On April 1, 1896 the area became part of

Minamikawachi District, Osaka is a district located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In 2009 the district had an estimated population of 37,695 and a density of 491 persons per km2. The total area is 76.81 km2. Towns and villages * Kanan *Taishi * Chihayaakasaka Mergers ...

. Nagano was elevated to town status on September 1, 1910. On April 1, 1954, Nagano merged with Mikkaichi, Kawakami, Amami, Kagata, and Takamukai villages to form the city of Kawachinagano.

Government

Kawachinagano 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 council of 18 members. Kawachinagano contributes one member to the

Osaka Prefectural Assembly The is the legislature of Osaka Prefecture. As in all prefectures, it is elected to four-year terms by single non-transferable vote in multi- and single-member districts and is responsible for enacting and amending prefectural by-laws, approving t ...

. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Osaka 15th district of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paral ...

Economy

Kawachinagano was traditionally known for its toothpick and bamboo blind crafts. Forestry and wood processing remain an important component of the local economy. Industries include metal casting and the brewing of ''

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and in ...

.'' An increasing percentage of the working population is commuting to larger population centers, such as Sakai, Osaka, Hashimoto or Gojo.

Education

Kawachinagano has 13 public elementary schools and seven public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Osaka Prefectural Department of Education. There are also one private middle school and two private high schools. The Osaka Chiyoda Junior College is located in Kawachinagano

Transportation

Railway

Nankai Electric Railway is a private railway in Japan, founded in 1884. The name ''Nankai'' (which means "South Sea") comes from the company's routes along the Nankaidō, the old highway that ran south from the old capital, Kyoto, along the sea coast. Nankai predates a ...

Nankai Kōya Line The is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the Nankai Electric Railway, a private railway operator. It connects Osaka and Koyasan, the capital of the Japanese Buddhist sect Shingon, via the ...

* - - - - - KintetsuLogo

Kintetsu Railway , referred to as , is a Japanese passenger railway company, managing infrastructure and operating passenger train service. Its railway system is the largest in Japan, excluding Japan Railways Group. The railway network connects Osaka, Nara, Ky ...

Kintetsu Nagano Line The is a railway line of Japanese private railway company Kintetsu Railway branching off Minami-Osaka Line at in southern suburbs of Osaka. The line connects cities of Habikino, Tondabayashi and Kawachi-Nagano in Osaka Prefecture, terminates ...

* -

Highway

* * *

Local attractions

Temples and Shrines

* Iwawaki-ji * Emmei-ji * Kanshin-ji * Kawaidera * Kongō-ji *Eboshigata

Hachiman In Japanese religion, ''Yahata'' (八幡神, ancient Shinto pronunciation) formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman (八幡神, Japanese Buddhist pronunciation) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements ...

Jinja

Nature and Parks

* Mount Iwawaki *

* Mount Makio * Takihata Dam * Teragaike *

* Nagano Park * Teragaike Park

Amusement parks

* Kansai Cycle Sports Center *

Osaka Prefectural Flowers Garden is a botanical garden in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefe ...

Sister city relations

* Carmel (

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

)

Noted people from Kawachinagano

* Takuro Fujii, swimmer *

Koichi Fukuda Koichi Fukuda (born July 1, 1975) is a Japanese musician, best known as the lead guitarist, programmer, and keyboardist for the metal band Static-X; he has been a member of the band three times, initially from 1994 to 2000, again from 2005 to 20 ...

, lead guitarist, programmer and keyboardist *

Asuka Hinoi is a Japanese singer and actress. Biography Asuka's musical career began in 2002, when she was chosen with two other girls, Hikaru Koyama and Miho Hiroshige, to form the group LOVE & PEACE. Their song "Drifter" became the theme for the movi ...

, singer *

Shinji Tanimura is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Career Tanimura set up the musical group Alice together with Takao Horiuchi in 1971 and released his first extended play musical album in the following year. Alice produced its first album two years later. Du ...

, singer and songwriter *

Hirofumi Yoshimura is a Japanese politician currently serving as the Governor of Osaka Prefecture. He assumed office in April 2019. He has been described as a conservative. Early life Yoshimura was born in the Osaka suburb of Kawachinagano. He studied law at K ...

, politician

Gallery

File:Kawachinagano Information and Communication Citizens Square1.jpg, kiccs (Library) File:Kawachinagano-Station Bus-Terminal.jpg, Kawachinagano Station File:Kanshinji Kondou.jpg, Kanshinji File:Koya kaido 01.jpg, Kōya Kaidō File:Mt Iwawaki4.jpg, Mt Iwawaki File:Takihata furusato bunkazainomori center.jpg, Takihata File:Kotaki(Takihata 48 Waterfalls).jpg, Kōtaki (Takihata 48 Waterfalls) File:Nantenen (Amami Onsen).jpg, Nantenen (Amami Onsen)

References

External links

* * Cities in Osaka Prefecture Kawachinagano {{Osaka-geo-stub