is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , the town had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 6,838 in 2894 households and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

of 220 persons per km². The total area of the town is . The Nagatoro River is well known for its rapids and whitewater rafting and boating, and the entire town is designated as a prefectural nature park and preserve.

Geography

Located in the mountains of western Saitama Prefecture, Nagatoro is on the upper reaches of the Arakawa River.

Surrounding municipalities

** Honjō ** Minano ** Misato ** Yorii

Climate

Nagatoro has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nagatoro is 12.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2222 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.6 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Nagatoro population statistics
/ref> the population of Nagatoro has declined modestly in recent decades.

History

The village of Nagami was created within Chichibu District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, and was elevated to town status on February 15, 1940. The town absorbed neighboring Higuchi and part of Shiratori villages on September 8, 1943, and changed its name to Nagatoro on November 1, 1971. In February 1955, the town expanded by annexing the neighboring villages of Orihara, Hachigata, Obusuma, and Yodo.

Government

Nagatoro 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 consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

town council of ten members. Nagatoro, together with the towns of Higashichichibu, Minano, Ogano and Yokoze, contributes one member to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of

Saitama 11th district , the House of Representatives of Japan is elected from a combination of multi-member districts and single-member districts, a method called parallel voting. Currently, 176 members are elected from 11 multi-member districts (called proportional re ...

of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

The main source of income for Nagatoro is tourism-related industries.

Education

Nagatoro has two public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

20px

Chichibu Railway The is a small-sector private railway company operating a railway line in northern Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It managed the Mitsumine Ropeway (� ...

Chichibu Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, owned by the private railway operator Chichibu Railway, linking and , both in Saitama Prefecture. Stations * Rolling stock , the Chichibu Railway operates the following fleet of rolling stock on the line ...

* Higuchi -

Nogami is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Akira Nogami (born 1966), Japanese professional wrestler and actor * Hisashi Nogami (born 1971) Japanese video game designer, director and producer *, Japanese long-distance runner ...

- Nagatoro - Kami-Nagatoro Hodosan Ropeway

Highway

Local attractions

*Nagatoro Gorge

References

External links

Official Website

Nagatoromachi Tourist Association
{{Authority control Towns in Saitama Prefecture Chichibu District, Saitama