Nagano is an inland prefecture and it borders more prefectures than any other in Japan, borderingGunma Prefecture,Saitama Prefecture,Yamanashi Prefecture, andShizuoka Prefecture to the east,Niigata Prefecture to the north,Toyama Prefecture andGifu Prefecture to the west, andAichi Prefecture to the south. Nagano contains the point furthest from the sea in the whole of Japan—this point lies within the city ofSaku. The province's mountains have made it relatively isolated, and many visitors come to Nagano for its mountain resorts and hot springs. Nine of the twelve highest mountains in Japan can be found in Nagano and one of its lakes,Lake Kizaki, is a beach resort popular for its water attractions and games. The climate is predominantly alpine with warm summers, cold snowy winters and less intense humidity than the lower lying coastal areas.
Physical map of Nagano PrefecturePolitical map of Nagano Prefecture City Town VillageHida Mountains (August 2006)Nagano CityChikuma River, from Yashima Bridge, looking downstream toward Murayama Bridge,Nagano (city)SuwaKomaganeMatsumotoNozawaonsen, Nagano
The life expectancy in Nagano prefecture is the longest nationwide with the average life expectancy of 87.18 years for women and 80.88 years for men.[7]
Nagano Prefecture has a large and diversified economy, with a strong focus on electronics, information technology, precision machinery, agriculture and food products, and tourism, with a total GDP of about¥8.5trillion (2017).[8]
Jun'ya Ota (aka ZUN), video game developer best known for theTouhou Project series is from Nagano Prefecture.[13]
Nagano's former governor,Yasuo Tanaka, is an independent who has made a reputation internationally for attacking Japan's status quo. Among other issues, he has refused national government money for construction projects that he deems unnecessary, such as dams, and has overhauled (locally) the press club system that is blamed for limiting government access to journalists who give favorable coverage. Tanaka was voted out from office on August 6, 2006 and was replaced by Jin Murai.[14]
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