Minowa (箕輪町, Minowa-machi) is a town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2019, the town had an estimated population of 25,051 in 9,737 households,[1] and a population density of 290 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 85.91 square kilometres (33.17 sq mi).

Minowa
箕輪町
Minowa Town Hall
Minowa Town Hall
Flag of Minowa
Official seal of Minowa
Location of Minowa in Nagano Prefecture
Location of Minowa in Nagano Prefecture
Minowa is located in Japan
Minowa
Minowa
 
Coordinates: 35°54′54.1″N 137°58′54.9″E / 35.915028°N 137.981917°E / 35.915028; 137.981917
CountryJapan
RegionChūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
PrefectureNagano
DistrictKamiina
Area
 • Total
85.91 km2 (33.17 sq mi)
Population
 (April 2019)
 • Total
25,051
 • Density290/km2 (760/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols 
• TreeZelkova serrata
• FlowerRhododendron
• BirdGrey wagtail
Phone number0265-79-3111
Address10298 Nakaminowa, Minowa-machi, Kitaina-gun, Nagano-ken 399-4695
WebsiteOfficial website
Red soba fields in Minowa

Geography

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Minowa is located in the Ina Valley of south-central Nagano Prefecture, bordered by the Kiso Mountains to the north. The Tenryū River flows through the town. Minowa Dam is located in the town.

Climate

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The town has a climate characterized by characterized by hot and humid summers, and cold winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Minowa is 11.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1342 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.0 °C.[2]

Surrounding municipalities

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Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Minowa has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1940 14,161—    
1950 19,134+35.1%
1960 17,485−8.6%
1970 16,744−4.2%
1980 19,729+17.8%
1990 22,651+14.8%
2000 25,661+13.3%
2010 26,221+2.2%
2020 24,989−4.7%

History

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The area of present-day Minowa was part of ancient Shinano Province. The villages of Nakaminowa, Minowa and Higashiminowa were established on April 1, 1889 by the establishment of the modern municipalities system, Nakaminowa was elevated to town status on November 3, 1948. Nakaminowa, Minowa and Higashiminowa merged to form the town of Minowa on January 1, 1955.

Education

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Minowa has five public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government, and one high school operated the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education.

International schools

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Transportation

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Railway

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Highway

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Notable people from Minowa, Nagano

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References

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  1. ^ Minowa Town official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. ^ Minowa climate data
  3. ^ Minowa population statistics
  4. ^ "Escolas Brasileiras Homologadas no Japão" (Archive). Embassy of Brazil in Tokyo. Retrieved on October 13, 2015.
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