Karuizawa, Nagano
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in Kitasaku District, Nagano
, Japan.
As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population
of 17,833 and has a total area of 156.05 square kilometres (60.25 sq mi).
Karuizawa is known throughout Japan as a popular tourist spot. People from Tokyo
will travel to Karuizawa to get away from the city especially in summer. There is a Shinkansen
station as well as a large outlet store shopping mall
. It is also known for its historic shopping street known as "Ginza dōri" or "Kyū-dō" (Ginza
Street, or the Old Road).
Karuizawa hosted equestrian
events in the 1964 Summer Olympics
. The town also hosted curling
in the 1998 Winter Olympics
. To date, it is the only city in the world having hosted both Summer and Winter Olympic events.
, Brazil Whistler, British Columbia
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Towns of Japan
A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
located in Kitasaku District, Nagano
Kitasaku District, Nagano
is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 40,041.The district has three towns*Karuizawa*Miyota*Tateshina-District Timeline:...
, Japan.
As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 17,833 and has a total area of 156.05 square kilometres (60.25 sq mi).
Karuizawa is known throughout Japan as a popular tourist spot. People from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
will travel to Karuizawa to get away from the city especially in summer. There is a Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
station as well as a large outlet store shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
. It is also known for its historic shopping street known as "Ginza dōri" or "Kyū-dō" (Ginza
Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
Street, or the Old Road).
Karuizawa hosted equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
events in the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
. The town also hosted curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
in the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. To date, it is the only city in the world having hosted both Summer and Winter Olympic events.
Geography
- Mount AsamaMount Asamais an active complex volcano in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. The volcano is the most active on Honshū. The Japan Meteorological Agency classifies Mount Asama as rank A. It stands above sea level on the border of Gunma and Nagano prefectures...
- Usui PassUsui PassThe is a mountain pass that lies between Nagano and Gunma Prefectures in Japan. It has served as one of the major transportation routes in central Japan since at least the eighth century.- Road :...
- Highest elevation: 2568 metres (8,425 ft) (Top of Mount AsamaMount Asamais an active complex volcano in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. The volcano is the most active on Honshū. The Japan Meteorological Agency classifies Mount Asama as rank A. It stands above sea level on the border of Gunma and Nagano prefectures...
) - Lowest elevation: 798.7 metres (2,620.4 ft)
Surrounding municipalities
- Nagano Prefecture
- SakuSaku, Naganois a city located in Nagano, Japan.Due to the refounding of Saku back on April 1, 2005, the city became the fifth city in Nagano Prefecture to go over 100,000...
- Kitasaku DistrictKitasaku District, Naganois a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 40,041.The district has three towns*Karuizawa*Miyota*Tateshina-District Timeline:...
: MiyotaMiyota, Naganois a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of April 2007, the town has an estimated population of 14,231 and a density of 242.12 persons per km². The total area is 58.78 km².-External links:*...
- Saku
- Gunma PrefectureGunma Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
- TakasakiTakasaki, Gunmais a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1900.Takasaki is a regional transportation hub because its train station is the junction of several rail lines as well as a Shinkansen stop....
- AnnakaAnnaka, Gunmais a city located in Gunma, Japan.As of March 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 63,584, with a household number of 23,575 and the density of 230.09 persons per km²...
- Kanra DistrictKanra District, Gunmais a district located in Gunma, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 32,840 and a density of 83.27 persons per km². The total area is 394.38 km².-Towns and villages:*Kanra*Nanmoku*Shimonita-Mergers:...
: ShimonitaShimonita, Gunmais a town located in Kanra District, Gunma, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the town had an estimated population of 9,693 and a density of 55.25 persons per km²... - Agatsuma DistrictAgatsuma District, Gunmais a district located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.As of July 1, 2011, the district has an estimated population of 60,253 and a population density of 47.1 persons per km²...
: NaganoharaNaganohara, Gunmais a town located in Agatsuma District, Gunma, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the town has an estimated population of 6,361 and a density of 47.50 persons per km². The total area is 133.93 km².-Geography:...
, TsumagoiTsumagoi, Gunmais a village located in Agatsuma District, Gunma, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the village has an estimated population of 10,743 and a density of 31.19 persons per km². The total area is 337.51 km².-Geography:...
- Takasaki
History
- Edo PeriodEdo periodThe , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
: Served as a post station town on NakasendōNakasendoThe , also called the , was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces...
, called Karuisawa-shukuKaruisawa-shukuwas the eighteenth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the northern portion of the present-day town of Karuizawa, in the Kitasaku District of Nagano Prefecture, Japan...
at that time - 1886: British theologian Alexander Croft Shaw introduced Karuizawa to fellow missionaries as a getaway spot, particularly as an escape from the summer heat of Tokyo
- 1910s: Begins to attract the attention of other expatriates and Japanese.
- 1922: Gained town status. The village of Higashinagakura becomes the town of Karuizawa
- 1951: Selected as International Cultural and Tourism City.
- 1964: 1964 Summer Olympics1964 Summer OlympicsThe 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
(Equestrian) - October 1, 1997: Nagano ShinkansenNagano ShinkansenThe is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano...
opens - 1998: 1998 Winter Olympics1998 Winter OlympicsThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
(Curling) - 2004: Mount AsamaMount Asamais an active complex volcano in central Honshū, the main island of Japan. The volcano is the most active on Honshū. The Japan Meteorological Agency classifies Mount Asama as rank A. It stands above sea level on the border of Gunma and Nagano prefectures...
erupts
Timeline
- 1872: The village Usuitoge from Saku District, NaganoSaku District, Naganowas a district located in Shinano Province or Nagano Prefecture.The former is estimated to be located at Nagatoro in the city of Saku....
merged into the village of Karuizawa - 1873: The town of Usuitoge broke off from the village of Karuizawa
- August 2, 1876: The villages of Kutsukake, Shiozawanitta, Karijuku, Narusawanitta, and Yui merged to form the village of Nagakura. The village of Hatsuji in Saku District absorbed the village of Matorikaya
- January 14, 1879: Kitasaku District Government enforced, and the town of Usuitoge, and the villages of Karuizawa, Nagakura, Oiwake belongs to Kitasaku District
- April 1, 1889: The city, town, and village status enforced. The town of Usuitoge, and the villages of Karuizawa, and the areas of the former villages of Kutsukake, Shiozawanitta, and Karijuku from the village of Nagakura merged to form the village of Higashinagakura in Kitasaku District, and the areas of the former villages of Narusawanitta and Yui in the village of Nagakura, and the villages of Hatsuji and Oiwake merged to form the village of Nishinagakura in Kitasaku District
- August 1, 1923: The village of Higashinagakura gained town status to become the town of Karuizawa. (※The pre-town areas before gaining the town status is known as Kyu-Karuizawa.)
- May 8, 1942: The village of Nishinagakura merged into the town
- February 1, 1957: The town absorbed Serizawa area from the former village of Goga, which was absorbed by the town of Miyoda
- April 1, 1959: Kajikazawa area from the former village of Oiwake broke off and went to the town of Miyoda
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