is a village

Villages of Japan

A is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....

 located in Kanra District

Kanra District, Gunma

is 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:...

, Gunma

Gunma Prefecture

is 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...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

As of 2003, the village 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 3,086 and a density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 25.98 persons per km², with a total area of 118.78 km². Nanmoku, like many rural areas in Japan, is seeing a significant amount of population decline; in 1955 there were more than 10,000 inhabitants. The majority of the remaining villagers are over 60 years in age (56% in 2000)http://www.nanmoku.ne.jp/data/jinkou.html.

Geography

• Major mountains:
  • Mount Arafune (1423 m)
  • Mount Hikage (1407 m)
  • Mount Ōya (1081 m)
  • Eboshidake (1182 m)
  • Mount Kurotaki (870 m)
  • Mount Yotsumata (900 m)
  • Tateiwa (1265 m)
• Major rivers:
  • Nanmoku River
  • Ōshiozawa River
  • Kumakura River
  • Ōnita River

Local attractions

Nanmoku is popular locally for its beautiful scenery. The village is located in the valley of a small mountain range, where there are excellent hiking opportunities. One of the mountains, Mt. Arahune, is home to a large natural park. The park serves as a campsite, with a large multipurpose recreational area that has tennis, water sports, and fishing facilities. There is also an astronomy center located on the grounds. Nanmoku also has a museum that documents local culture and history.

Hitoboshi

The village is particularly famous for hitoboshi (火とぼし), the two-day local fire festival, the largest in the prefecturehttp://www.pref.gunma.jp/english/festivals/index.htm. Many people who have moved away but still have family in the village return for this festival, and it is popular with tourists as well. Though such fire festivals were once popular, few remain. Nanmoku's version falls on August 14th and 15th, and coincides with Obon

Obón

Obón is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 75 inhabitants....

, a festival honoring dead ancestors. However, Hitoboshi itself commemorates the village's victorious alliance with the Takeda

Takeda family

The ' was a famous clan of daimyō in Japan's late Heian Period to Sengoku period.The Takeda were descendants of Emperor Seiwa and are a branch of the Minamoto clan , by Minamoto no Yoshimitsu , brother to the Chinjufu-shogun Minamoto no Yoshiie...

 during the Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

http://nammoku.net/hitoboshi.htm. During the festival, villagers take turns standing on a bridge and twirling burning bales of hay over the edge.

External links

• Nanmoku official website (some English content)