Suwa, Nagano

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Suwa
諏訪市
City
Panorama view of Lake Suwa and Suwa Spa area
Panorama view of Lake Suwa and Suwa Spa area
Flag of Suwa
Flag
Official seal of Suwa
Seal
Location of Suwa in Nagano Prefecture
Location of Suwa in Nagano Prefecture
Suwa is located in Japan
Suwa
Suwa
 
Coordinates: 36°2′20.9″N 138°6′50.5″E / 36.039139°N 138.114028°E / 36.039139; 138.114028
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
PrefectureNagano
Area
 • Total109.17 km2 (42.15 sq mi)
Population
 (March 2019)
 • Total48,972
 • Density450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number0266-52-4141
Address1-22-30 Takashima, Suwa-shi, Nagano-ken 392-8511
ClimateCfa/Dfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerHemerocallis esculenta, Iris
TreePhellodendron amurense, Pseudocydonia
Suwa City Hall
Onbashira in Suwa-taisha, which is held once every six years

Suwa (諏訪市, Suwa-shi) is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2019, the city had an estimated population of 48,972 in 20698 households,[1] and a population density of 452 persons per km². The total area of the city is 109.17 square kilometres (42.15 sq mi).

History

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The shores of Lake Suwa have been inhabited since at least the Japanese Paleolithic period. The Suwa clan ruled the area since the Nara period, and the area developed as a castle town for Suwa Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate and as a post station on the Kōshū Kaidō highway. In the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms of April 1, 1889, the village of Kamisuwa was established. Kawasuwa was elevated to town status on April 20, 1891. After merger with the villages of Shiga and Toyoda (from Suwa District), Kamisuwa was elevated to city status on August 10, 1941, changing its name to Suwa.

Geography

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Suwa is located in central Nagano Prefecture, bordered on the north and west by Lake Suwa, approximately 100 kilometers south of the prefectural capital of Nagano city, and two hours by car from either central Tokyo or Nagoya.

Surrounding municipalities

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Climate

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The city has a climate characterized by characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild but cold winters (Köppen climate classification Dfa). The average annual temperature in Suwa is 11.4 °C (52.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,301.5 mm (51.24 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.1 °C (75.4 °F), and lowest in January, at around −1.1 °C (30.0 °F).[2]

Climate data for Suwa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1945−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.9
(62.4) 		17.7
(63.9) 		22.9
(73.2) 		29.2
(84.6) 		31.0
(87.8) 		32.5
(90.5) 		34.8
(94.6) 		35.5
(95.9) 		33.2
(91.8) 		29.0
(84.2) 		22.9
(73.2) 		19.7
(67.5) 		35.5
(95.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8) 		5.1
(41.2) 		9.8
(49.6) 		16.1
(61.0) 		21.5
(70.7) 		24.5
(76.1) 		28.2
(82.8) 		29.5
(85.1) 		24.7
(76.5) 		18.5
(65.3) 		12.7
(54.9) 		6.8
(44.2) 		16.8
(62.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.1
(30.0) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		4.0
(39.2) 		10.0
(50.0) 		15.5
(59.9) 		19.3
(66.7) 		23.2
(73.8) 		24.1
(75.4) 		19.8
(67.6) 		13.4
(56.1) 		7.3
(45.1) 		1.9
(35.4) 		11.4
(52.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −5.5
(22.1) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		4.4
(39.9) 		10.2
(50.4) 		15.2
(59.4) 		19.6
(67.3) 		20.3
(68.5) 		16.2
(61.2) 		9.4
(48.9) 		2.7
(36.9) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		7.0
(44.6)
Record low °C (°F) −20.9
(−5.6) 		−23.1
(−9.6) 		−16.5
(2.3) 		−7.3
(18.9) 		−0.7
(30.7) 		4.1
(39.4) 		10.3
(50.5) 		9.7
(49.5) 		2.7
(36.9) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−15.6
(3.9) 		−23.1
(−9.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 43.3
(1.70) 		50.6
(1.99) 		89.0
(3.50) 		92.8
(3.65) 		111.7
(4.40) 		155.1
(6.11) 		194.0
(7.64) 		140.8
(5.54) 		176.9
(6.96) 		136.8
(5.39) 		69.0
(2.72) 		41.6
(1.64) 		1,301.5
(51.24)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 27
(11) 		24
(9.4) 		8
(3.1) 		1
(0.4) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		10
(3.9) 		71
(28)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 4.8 5.5 8.3 8.9 9.6 11.9 13.2 10.4 10.5 8.5 6.3 5.3 103.2
Average snowy days (≥ 1 cm) 5.8 4.7 2.0 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.2 14.9
Average relative humidity (%) 71 69 66 64 67 74 77 75 78 78 75 72 72
Mean monthly sunshine hours 184.4 179.6 199.1 204.4 212.2 161.4 169.5 199.4 152.9 162.8 166.9 171.8 2,164.8
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Suwa peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1940 37,547—    
1950 42,693+13.7%
1960 44,035+3.1%
1970 48,125+9.3%
1980 50,558+5.1%
1990 52,464+3.8%
2000 53,858+2.7%
2010 51,211−4.9%
2020 48,729−4.8%

Government

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Suwa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 15 members.

Economy

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The Suwa region is the leading industrial area of Nagano and was once known as "The Oriental Switzerland" in Japan for its highly developed precision machinery industry.[5] Seiko Epson Corporation, a manufacturer of information-related equipment and Seiko timepieces, is headquartered in Suwa.[6] The area is also a popular tourist destination, noted for its hot spring resorts.

Education

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Suwa has seven public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools and one combined middle/high school operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education. The Japanese Red Cross Society Suwa School of Nursing is also located in the city.

Colégio Sal e Luz, a Brazilian school, was previously located in Suwa.[7] It moved to Okaya.[8]

Transportation

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Railway

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Highway

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International relations

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Local attractions

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  • Onbashira (literally, "the honored log") festival held every six years (in the years of the Tiger and the Monkey). As part of the event, very large trees up in the hills are felled and brought down into the valley, pulling them with ropes and sliding them down hills. To demonstrate their bravery, young men from the area ride on the logs as they hurtle down the slopes.
  • Sunritz Hattori Museum of Arts
  • Takashima Castle (高島城 Takashima-jō). The castle is also known as ’The Floating Castle of Suwa’ (諏訪の浮城 Suwa-no-uki-shirō) or Shimazaki Castle (島崎城 Shimazaki-jō).
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Suwa forms the backdrop for much of Sayo Masuda's Autobiography of a Geisha.

The characters Sanae Kochiya, Kanako Yasaka, and Suwako Moriya from the Touhou Project originate from this area.

Notable people from Suwa

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Suwa city official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. ^ a b 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  3. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Suwa population statistics
  5. ^ "Suwa Area, Web Site Shinshu". Nagano Prefectural Government. 2001-11-26. Archived from the original on March 8, 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  6. ^ "Head Office & Japanese Facilities." Seiko Epson. Retrieved on January 13, 2009.
  7. ^ "Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão" (). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. February 7, 2008. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
  8. ^ "Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão" (Archive). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
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