Shimosuwa

• Name — Shimosuwa • Native Name Lang — ja • Type — Town • Image Flag — Flag of Shimosuwa, Nagano.svg • Image Seal — Emblem of Shimosuwa, Nagano.svg • Image Map — Shimosuwa in Nagano Prefecture Ja.svg • Map Caption — Location of Shimosuwa in Nagano Prefecture • Pushpin Map — Japan • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Japan • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) • Subdivision Type2 — Prefecture • Subdivision Name2 — Nagano • Subdivision Type3 — District • Subdivision Name3 — Suwa • Leader Title — Mayor • Area Total Km2 — 66.87 • Population Total — 20055 • Population As Of — April 2019 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Time Zone1 — Japan Standard Time • Utc Offset1 — +9 • Custom Label Sec1 — Symbols • Custom Label1 Sec1 — • Tree • Custom Data1 Sec1 — Sakura • Custom Label2 Sec1 — • Flower • Custom Data2 Sec1 — Azalea • Custom Label3 Sec1 — • Bird • Custom Label Sec2 — Phone number • Custom Data Sec2 — 0266-27-1111 • Custom Label1 Sec2 — Address • Custom Data1 Sec2 — 4613-8 Nishitakanochō, Shimosuwa-machi, Suwa-gun, Nagano-ken 393-8501 • Illustration — Lake Suwa from Shimosuwa town Shimosuwa is a town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 2019 04, the town had an estimated population of 20,055 in 8864 households, and a population density of 300 persons per km 2. The total area of the town is 66.87 sqkm.

Shimosuwa is located in central Nagano Prefecture, approximately 50 kilometers from the prefectural capital of Nagano city and 200 kilometers from Tokyo. The town is bordered on the south by Lake Suwa. The town has an altitude of 760 meters at the town center, and is 82% forested.

• Nagano Prefecture • Matsumoto • Nagawa • Okaya • Suwa

The town has a humid continental climate characterized by warm and humid summers, and cold winters (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The average annual temperature in Shimosuwa is 7.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1540 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 20.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around -5.1 °C.

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shimosuwa has been declining at a low but accelerating rate over the past 50 years.

The area of present-day Shimosuwa was part of ancient Shinano Province, and was administered as part of the territories of Suwa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. During the Edo period, Shimosuwa-shuku developed as the 29th station on the 59-station Nakasendō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto and was also a post station on the Kōshū Kaidō. The village of Shimosuwa was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, and was raised to town status on June 30, 1893.

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

• East Japan Railway Company - Chūō Main Line • Shimo-Suwa

• Route • Route

• China – Kaifeng, Henan, China

Shimosuwa is the location of two of the shrines that make up the famous Suwa Taisha or Suwa Grand Shrine. The Harumiya (春宮) and Akimiya (秋宮) shrines are symbolically renewed every seven years during the Onbashira festival. Huge trees are cut in a Shinto ceremony, then the logs are dragged from the mountains down to the shrines. Shimosuwa is also the site of several onsen or natural hot spring spas. The Hoshigatō obsidian mine site, a Jomon period trace and National Historic Site is located in Shimosuwa, but there are no public facilities or access.

• Yasuyuki Kazama, racing driver • Shinpei Takagi, actor, movie director