Karuizawa, Nagano

This article is about the town. For the adventure game, see Karuizawa Yūkai Annai.
Karuizawa
軽井沢町
Town

Flag

Location of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture
Karuizawa

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 36°21′N 138°36′E / 36.350°N 138.600°E / 36.350; 138.600Coordinates: 36°21′N 138°36′E / 36.350°N 138.600°E / 36.350; 138.600
Country Japan
Region Chūbu
Kōshin'etsu
Prefecture Nagano Prefecture
District Kitasaku
Government
  Mayor Susumu Fujimaki
Area
  Total 156.05 km2 (60.25 sq mi)
Population (February 2016)
  Total 19,769
  Density 114/km2 (300/sq mi)
Symbols
  Tree Kobushi magnolia
  Flower Sakurasō (Primula sieboldii)
  Bird Brown-headed thrush
  Others Animal: Japanese squirrel
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address 2381-1 Nagakura, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano-ken
389-0192
Website www.town.karuizawa.nagano.jp

Karuizawa (軽井沢町 Karuizawa-machi) is a town in Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

As of February 2016, the town has an estimated population of 19,769 and has a total area of 156.05 square kilometres (60.25 sq mi).

At an elevation of 1,000 m (3,281 ft) and a temperate summer climate, Karuizawa is a popular year round resort offering many outdoor sport, hot spring and recreational activities. Convenient road and rail access from central Tokyo, has ensured Karuizawa's popularity as a location for second homes and resort hotels since the Meiji era. The town is known for its historic shopping street known as "Ginza dōri" or "Kyū-dō" (Ginza Street, or the Old Road) and association with both Japanese royalty and visitors such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono.[1] Karuizawa hosted equestrian events in the 1964 Summer Olympics as well as curling in the 1998 Winter Olympics. To date, it is the only city in the world to have hosted both Summer and Winter Olympic events.

Since 1997 Karuizawa has been accessible via the JR East Nagano Shinkansen. New high speed rail links has resulted in modest population growth and the development of large outlet style shopping malls.

Geography

Karuizawa town is located on a elevated plain at the foot of Mount Asama, one of Japan's most active volcanoes. The mountain is classed as a Category A active volcano. A small eruption was detected in June 2015, a more significant eruption spewing hot rocks and a plume of ash occurred in February 2015. Mt. Asama's most destructive eruption in recent recorded history took place in 1783, when over 1,000 were killed. The volcano is actively monitored by scientists and climbing close to the summit is prohibited.[2]

Surrounding municipalities

Climate

Karuizawa has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation is much heavier in the summer than in the winter.

Climate data for Karuizawa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 1.9
(35.4)
2.3
(36.1)
6.1
(43)
13.2
(55.8)
18.2
(64.8)
20.6
(69.1)
24.0
(75.2)
25.5
(77.9)
20.5
(68.9)
15.2
(59.4)
10.5
(50.9)
4.8
(40.6)
13.57
(56.43)
Daily mean °C (°F) −3.9
(25)
−3.6
(25.5)
−0.4
(31.3)
6.3
(43.3)
11.5
(52.7)
15.3
(59.5)
19.0
(66.2)
20.2
(68.4)
15.7
(60.3)
9.2
(48.6)
4.1
(39.4)
−1.1
(30)
7.69
(45.85)
Average low °C (°F) −9.5
(14.9)
−9.0
(15.8)
−6.0
(21.2)
−0.1
(31.8)
5.0
(41)
10.9
(51.6)
15.3
(59.5)
16.2
(61.2)
12.2
(54)
4.4
(39.9)
−1.2
(29.8)
−6.4
(20.5)
2.65
(36.77)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 29.9
(1.177)
43.0
(1.693)
59.6
(2.346)
84.2
(3.315)
108.8
(4.283)
187.4
(7.378)
184.1
(7.248)
159.3
(6.272)
173.3
(6.823)
107.7
(4.24)
50.7
(1.996)
23.3
(0.917)
1,211.3
(47.688)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 29
(11.4)
43
(16.9)
37
(14.6)
8
(3.1)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
1
(0.4)
3
(1.2)
16
(6.3)
137
(53.9)
Average relative humidity (%) 74 75 73 72 74 84 87 86 88 83 77 74 78.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 169.6 156.3 183.0 175.1 191.4 126.4 126.5 158.0 107.7 134.9 149.6 165.2 1,843.7
Source: NOAA (1961–1990)[3]

Notable residents

History

Economy

Hoshino Resorts has its headquarters in Karuizawa.[5]

International relations

Karuizawa is twinned with the following cities:

Education

The International School of Asia, Karuizawa is scheduled to open in Karuizawa in 2014.

Transportation

Karuizawa Station is located on the Nagano Shinkansen high-speed rail line, about 40 km from Takasaki Station and 150 km from Tokyo Station. The station is also served by the Shinano Railway Line which runs to Nagano City.

The Jōshin-etsu Expressway runs through the town, but the closest interchange is in neighboring Annaka, Gunma. Japan National Route 18 connects Karuizawa to Takasaki, Nagano and Joetsu.

References

  1. Davis, Tony (8 May 2015). "Nakasendo walking trail leads to the heart of old Japan – and bear country". The Australian Financial Review.
  2. Demetriou, Danielle (16 June 2015). "Mount Asama volcano erupts near Tokyo". The Telegraph.
  3. "Karuizawa Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  4. Tohoku: The Scotland of Japan, p. 181
  5. "Company Overview of Hoshino Resort Co., Ltd. (Archive). Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved on September 22, 2013. "2148, oazanagakura karuizawa-machi Kitasaku, 389-0111 Japan"

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Karuizawa, Nagano.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, May 03, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.