Chino, Nagano


Chino is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 55,673 in 23,236 households, and a population density of 210 persons per km². The total area of the city is.

Geography

Chino is located in a mountainous area of east-central Nagano prefecture. Notable mountains within the city limits include Mount Yatsugatake, Mount Tateshina and Mount Kirigamine. Chino city hall is located at an elevation of 801 meters, and is thus the highest city hall location in Japan.

Surrounding municipalities

Per Japanese census data, the population of Chino has increased over the past 50 years.

Climate

The city has a climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and relatively mild winters. The average annual temperature in Chino is 10.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1310 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.8 °C. The mountainous portions of the city are considered part of the snow country of Japan, with heavy accumulations of snow in winter.

History

The area of present-day Chino was part of ancient Shinano Province and was part of Suwa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. The village of Eimei in Suwa District was established by the creation of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was elevated to town status and renamed Chino on May 3, 1948. On February 1, 1955, the town of Chino annexed the neighboring villages of Miyakawa, Kanzawa, Tamagawa, Toyohira, Azumino, Kitayama, Kohigashi and Yonezawa. Chino was elevated to city status on August 1, 1958.
In 2018, the Chino Municipal Government created a "Bond Diary" program for citizens over the age of 20. The program romantically matches area residents with non-residents via "old fashioned" means of the written word.

Government

Chino has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

Economy

Chino is noted for its production of kanten, a type of agar, and the growing of celery and lettuce. Manufacturing includes precision instruments and electronics. The mountains of the Tateshina Highlands are a popular destination for seasonal tourism.

Education

Chino has nine public elementary schools and four public middle schools. There is one public high school operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education, and one private high school. The Tokyo University of Science, Suwa is also located in Chino.

Transportation

Railway

since 17 August 2014.

Local attractions