Saku, Nagano

Saku 佐久市
City
Flag
Location of Saku in Nagano Prefecture
Saku Location in Japan
Coordinates: 36°15′N 138°29′E / 36.250°N 138.483°ECoordinates: 36°15′N 138°29′E / 36.250°N 138.483°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Nagano Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Seiji Yanagida
Area
• Total	423.99 km^2 (163.70 sq mi)
Population (May 2013)
• Total	99,677
• Density	236/km^2 (610/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address	3056, Nakagomi, Saku-shi, Nagano-ken 385-8501
Website	www.city.saku.nagano.jp

Saku (佐久市 Saku-shi) is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Due to the re-founding of Saku on April 1, 2005, the city became the fifth city in Nagano Prefecture have a population over 100,000. However the latest population is now 99,677 and the total area is now expanded to 423.99 km², with a population density of 236 persons per km², as of May 1, 2013.

Since the opening of Sakudaira Station on the Nagano Shinkansen, many people have moved to Saku and commute to Tokyo by Shinkansen. It takes about one hour to get to Tokyo.

Geography

• Saku holds the distinction of containing the point furthest from the sea (actually this point lies within the former town of Usuda).

Surrounding Municipalities

• Nagano Prefecture
  • Komoro, Chino, Tomi
  • Minamisaku District: Sakuho
  • Kitasaku District: Karuizawa, Miyota, Tateshina
• Gunma Prefecture
  • Kanra District: Shimonita, Nanmoku

Municipal timeline

• April 1, 1961 - The town of Asama, and the village of Azuma (from Kitasaku District) were merged with the towns of Nozawa and Nakagomi (both from Minamisaku District) to create the (old) city of Saku (1st).
• April 1, 2005 - Saku absorbed the town of Usuda (from Minamisaku District), the town of Mochizuki, and the village of Asashina (both from Kitasaku District) to create the new "city of Saku" (2nd).

Until the formation of the old city of Saku

Former town of Asama area in Kitasaku District

• c. 1875 The villages of Iwao, Ochiai, and Owada from Saku District merged to form the village of Naruse.
• May 1876 The villages of Akaiwa, Kamitsukahara, Shimotsukahara, Neneitsukahara, and Nakaike from Saku District merged to form the village of Tsukahara, and the village of Ichi from the same district merged with the village of Nitta to form the village of Ichida.
• c. 1879 Kitasaku District Government enforced. The villages of Iwamurata, Nagatoro, Sarukubo, Tsukahara, Nenei, Hiratsuka, Ichida, Naruse, Imai, Yokowa, Mikawata, Kamihirao, Shimohirao, and Yokone belongs to Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The town of Iwamurata in Kitasaku District absorbed the villages of Nagatoro and Sarukubo to gain town status.
  • The village of Tsukahara, Nenei, Hiratsuka, and Ichida from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Nakasato.
  • The village of Naruse, Imai, Yokowa, and Mikawata from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Takase.
  • The village of Kamihirao, Shimohirao, and Yokone from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Hirane.
• December 20, 1954 The town of Iwamurata and the villages of Nakasato, Takase, and Hirane merged to form the town of Asama in Kitasaku District.

Former village of Azuma area in Kitasaku District

• August 1876　The village of Kosaka absorbed the village of Kosakanitta.
• 1879【This Year】Kitasaku District Government enforced. The villages of Kosaka, Shinkota, Yasuhara, and Shiga belongs to Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The village of Kosaka, Shinkota, and Yasuhara from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Mii.
  • The village of Shiga formed without merging.
• February 1, 1955 The village of Shiga and Mii merged to form the village of Azuma.

Former town of Nozawa area in Minamisaku District

• December 1874 The village of Maeyama in Saku District absorbes the village of Maeyamanitta, Shimo, and Naka.
• c. 1875 The village of Kamisakurai, Nakasakurai, Shimosakurai, and Sakurainitta merged to form the village of Sakurai.
• May 1876 The villages of Takeda, Nukao, Tozawa, and Hirai merged to form the village of Negishi, and the villages of Shimosagata, Shimosagatanitta, Shimodaira, Imaoka, and Yokohama merged to form the village of Banno. In June, the village of Osawa absorbed the village of Osawanitta.
• c. 1879 Minamisaku District Government enforced. The villages of Nozawa, Hara, Toridemachi, Takayanagi, Motoshinmachi, Atobe, Santsuka, Negishi, Banno, Maeyama, Komiyama, Sakurai, and Osawa belongs to Minamisaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The village of Nozawa in Minamisaku District was formed by absorbing the villages of Hara, Toridemachi, Takayanagi, Motoshinmachi, Atobe, and Santsuka.
  • The villages of Negishi and Banno merged to form the village of Kishino.
  • The village of Maeyama was formed by absorbing the village of Komiyama.
  • The village of Sakurai was formed without merging.
  • The village of Osawa was formed without merging.
• March 9, 1897 The village of Nozawa gained town status.
• April 1, 1954 The town of Nozawa in Minamisaku District absorbed the villages of Osawa, Kishino, Sakurai, and Maeyama.

Former town of Nakagomi area in Minamisaku District

• August 1876 The village of Hiraga in Saku District absorbed the town of Shinmachi. The villages of Yamada, Kitazawa, and Kiyokawa merged to form the village of Tokowa.
• c. 1879 Minamisaku District Government enforced. The villages of Shimonakagomi, Seto, Hiraga, Otabe, Tokowa, and Uchiyama belongs to Minamisaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The villages of Shimonakagomi and Seto merged to form the village of Nakase.
  • The villages of Hiraga and Otabe merged into the village of Tokowa. (※The former village of Kiyokawa in the village of Tokowa was merged into the village of Taguchi (later merged with the village of Aonuma to form the village of Taguchiaonuma→merged into the village of Usuda. Now part of the city of Saku))
  • The village of Uchiyama was formed without merging.
• April 1, 1899 The village of Hiraga absrobed the former village of Seto areas from the village of Nakase. On July 18, the village of Nakase renamed to the village of Nakagomi.
• November 1, 1919 The village of Nakagomi gained town status.
• August 1, 1956 The town of Nakagomi in Minamisaku District absorbed the villages of Hiraga and Uchiyama.

Until the formation of the new city of Saku

Former town of Mochizuki area in Kitasaku District

• c. 1875 The town of Mochizukishin merged into the town of Mochizuku in Saku District. The village of Kanonjinitta merged into the village of Shigetai. The villages of Irikatakurayama, Iwashita, and Kasugashin merged into the village of Kasuga. The village of Makifuse, Irifuse, Shikibu, Nukei, Kyochu, Kutsusawayamanitta, and Maeyamasannitta merged to form the village of Fuse.
• c. 1876 The village of Katakura, Hidai, Tenshinrin, Otanijinitta, Odaira, Mitsui, and Takaro merged to form the village of Kyowa.
• c. 1879 Kitasaku District government enforced. The town of Mochizuki and the villages of Innai, Shigetai, Kasuga, Fuse, and Kyowa belongs ot Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The town of Mochizuki and the village of Innai and Shigetai merged to form the village of Honmaki.
  • The village of Kasuga was formed without merging.
  • The village of Fuse was founded without merging.
  • The village of Kyowa was founded without merging.
• April 1, 1954 The village of Honmaki gained town status.
• April 1, 1959 The town of Honmaki and the villages of Kasuga, Fuse, and Kyowa merged to reform the town of Mochizuki.

(※The town of Mochizuki was once dissolved since March 31, 1889)

• April 15, 1960 Shigetai area from the former town of Honmaki broke off and went to the town of Tateshina.

Sister Cities or Town Twinning

From the former city of Saku

• Sister Cities
  • Avallon (Yonne, Burgundy, France)

    Signed on July 14, 1976

  • Saku, (Harju County, Estonia)

    Signed on May, 2008* Friendship Cities

  • Yurihonjō (Akita Prefecture)

    From the former town of Yashima

  • Shizuoka (Shizuoka Prefecture)

    From the former city of Shimizu

  • Kōzushima (Tokyo)
  • Miyamae-ku (Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture)
  • Wakō (Saitama Prefecture)

From the former town of Usuda

• Ginga Federation - A friendship federation where the space research labs were once located in the past.

  Signed on November 8, 1987

  • Republic of Sanriku-ōfunato (Ōfunato)

    Originally signed under the Republic of Sanriku (Sanriku, Kesen District, Iwate Prefecture)

  • The Republic of Noshiro (Noshiro, Akita Prefecture)
  • The Republic of Sagamihara (Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture)
  • The Republic of Uchinoura-Kimotsuki (Kimotsuki, Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima Prefecture)

    Originally signed under the Republic of Uchinoura (Uchinoura, Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima Prefecture)

• Other friendship cities
  • Okazaki (Aichi Prefecture)

    Signed July 1, 1983, under Yukari-no-machi corporating

Education

University

• Saku University

College

• Shinshu Junior College

High school

• Iwamurada High School (900 students)
• Nozawa-kita High School
• Nozawa-minami High School
• Kitasaku-nougyou High School
• Saku-chōsei High School
• Usuda High School
• Mochizuki High School
• Earth environment High School

Junior highschool

• Nakagomi Junior Highschool
• Asama Junior Highschool
• Nozawa Junior highschool
• Saku-higashi Junior highschool
• Asashina Junior highschool
• Usuda Junior highschool
• Mochizuki Junior highschool
• Saku-chosei Junior highschool

References

External links

• Saku official website (Japanese)
• 佐久市・臼田町・浅科村・望月町合併協議会 (Dissolved on March 31, 2005)
• 地域ポータルサイト：佐久ナビ