is a city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in Nagano

Nagano Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...

, 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. The current population is now 100,077 and the total area is now expanded to 423.99 km² as of January 1, 2008.

Since the opening of Sakudaira station on the Nagano Shinkansen

Nagano Shinkansen

The 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...

, many people have moved to Saku and commute to Tokyo by 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...

. It takes about one hour to get to Tokyo.

Geography

• Saku holds the distinction of being the location in Japan furthest from any sea.(the former town of Usuda)

Surrounding Municipalities

• Nagano Prefecture
  • Komoro
    Komoro, Nagano
    is a city located in Nagano, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 44,270. The total area is 98.66 km².-Municipal Timeline:*February 1, 1954-Komoro absorbed the villages of Kawanabe, Kitaoi, and Osato from Kitasaku District....
    
    , Chino
    Chino, Nagano
    is a city located in Nagano, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 55,902 and the density of 209.83 persons per km². The total area is 266.41 km².The city was founded on August 1, 1958.- Geography :*mountain**Mount Yatsugatake...
    
    , Tomi
    Tomi, Nagano
    is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 2004, when the village of Kitamimaki from Kitasaku District and the town of Tōbu from Chiisagata District merged to form a new city....
    
    
  • Minamisaku District
    Minamisaku District, Nagano
    is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 29,263. As of December 2005, the district have two towns and four villages.*Kawakami*Kitaaiki*Koumi*Minamiaiki*Minamimaki*Sakuho...
    
    : Sakuho
    Sakuho, Nagano
    is a town located in Minamisaku District, Nagano, Japan.On March 20, 2005 the town of Saku, and the village of Yachiho, both from Minamisaku District, to form the new town of Sakuho....
    
    
  • Kitasaku District
    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:...
    
    : Karuizawa
    Karuizawa, Nagano
    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 ....
    
    , Miyota
    Miyota, Nagano
    is 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:*...
    
    , Tateshina
    Tateshina, Nagano
    is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 8,492 and a density of 127.09 persons per km². The total area is 66.82 km².Tateshina is sister city to Oregon City, Oregon, in the United States....
    
    
• Gunma Prefecture
  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...
  
  
  • 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:...
    
    : Shimonita
    Shimonita, Gunma
    is 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...
    
    , Nanmoku
    Nanmoku, Gunma
    is a village located in Kanra District, Gunma, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 3,086 and a density 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...
    
    

Municipal timeline

• April 1, 1961 The town of Asama and the village of Azuma, from Kitasaku District
  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:...
  
  , merged with the towns of Nozawa and Nakagomi, from Minamisaku District
  Minamisaku District, Nagano
  is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 29,263. As of December 2005, the district have two towns and four villages.*Kawakami*Kitaaiki*Koumi*Minamiaiki*Minamimaki*Sakuho...
  
  , to form the (old) city of Saku.
• April 1, 2005 Saku was merged with the town of Usuda
  Usuda, Nagano
  was a town located in Minamisaku District, Nagano, Japan.On April 1, 2005 Usuda, along with the town of Mochizuki, and the village of Asashina, both from Kitasaku District, was merged into the expanded city of Saku....
  
  , from Minamisaku District
  Minamisaku District, Nagano
  is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 29,263. As of December 2005, the district have two towns and four villages.*Kawakami*Kitaaiki*Koumi*Minamiaiki*Minamimaki*Sakuho...
  
  , the town of Mochizuki
  Mochizuki, Nagano
  was a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.On April 1, 2005 Mochizuki, along with the town of Usuda, from Minamisaku District, and the village of Asashina, from Kitasaku District, was merged into the expanded city of Saku....
  
  , and the village of Asashina
  Asashina, Nagano
  was a village located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.On April 1, 2005 Asashina, along with the town of Usuda, from Minamisaku District, and the town of Mochizuki, from Kitasaku District, was merged into the expanded city of Saku....
  
  , from Kitasaku District
  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:...
  
  , to form the new "city of Saku".

Former town of Asama area in Kitasaku District

• 1875 【circa】The villages of Iwao, Ochiai, and Owada from Saku District merged to form the village of Naruse.
• May 1876 The villages of Akaiwa, Kamitsukahara, Shimotsukahara, Neneitsukahara, and Nakaike from Saku District merged to form the village of Tsukahara, and the village of Ichi from the same district merged with the village of Nitta to form the village of Ichida.
• 1879【circa】Kitasaku District Government enforced. The villages of Iwamurata, Nagatoro, Sarukubo, Tsukahara, Nenei, Hiratsuka, Ichida, Naruse, Imai, Yokowa, Mikawata, Kamihirao, Shimohirao, and Yokone belongs to Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The town of Iwamurata in Kitasaku District absorbed the villages of Nagatoro and Sarukubo to gain town status.
  • The village of Tsukahara, Nenei, Hiratsuka, and Ichida from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Nakasato.
  • The village of Naruse, Imai, Yokowa, and Mikawata from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Takase.
  • The village of Kamihirao, Shimohirao, and Yokone from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Hirane.
• December 20, 1954 The town of Iwamurata and the villages of Nakasato, Takase, and Hirane merged to form the town of Asama in Kitasaku District.

Former village of Azuma area in Kitasaku District

• August 1876　The village of Kosaka absorbed the village of Kosakanitta.
• 1879【This Year】Kitasaku District Government enforced. The villages of Kosaka, Shinkota, Yasuhara, and Shiga belongs to Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The village of Kosaka, Shinkota, and Yasuhara from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Mii.
  • The village of Shiga formed without merging.
• February 1, 1955 The village of Shiga and Mii merged to form the village of Azuma.

Former town of Nozawa area in Minamisaku District

• December 1874 The village of Maeyama in Saku District absorbes the village of Maeyamanitta, Shimo, and Naka.
• 1875【circa】The village of Kamisakurai, Nakasakurai, Shimosakurai, and Sakurainitta merged to form the village of Sakurai.
• May 1876 The villages of Takeda, Nukao, Tozawa, and Hirai merged to form the village of Negishi, and the villages of Shimosagata, Shimosagatanitta, Shimodaira, Imaoka, and Yokohama merged to form the village of Banno. In June, the village of Osawa absorbed the village of Osawanitta.
• 1879【circa】Minamisaku District Government enforced. The villages of Nozawa, Hara, Toridemachi, Takayanagi, Motoshinmachi, Atobe, Santsuka, Negishi, Banno, Maeyama, Komiyama, Sakurai, and Osawa belongs to Minamisaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The village of Nozawa in Minamisaku District was formed by absorbing the villages of Hara, Toridemachi, Takayanagi, Motoshinmachi, Atobe, and Santsuka.
  • The villages of Negishi and Banno merged to form the village of Kishino.
  • The village of Maeyama was formed by absorbing the village of Komiyama.
  • The village of Sakurai was formed without merging.
  • The village of Osawa was formed without merging.
• March 9, 1897 The village of Nozawa gained town status.
• April 1, 1954 The town of Nozawa in Minamisaku District absorbed the villages of Osawa, Kishino, Sakurai, and Maeyama.

Former town of Nakagomi area in Minamisaku District

• August 1876 The village of Hiraga in Saku District absorbed the town of Shinmachi. The villages of Yamada, Kitazawa, and Kiyokawa merged to form the village of Tokowa.
• 1879【circa】Minamisaku District Government enforced. The villages of Shimonakagomi, Seto, Hiraga, Otabe, Tokowa, and Uchiyama belongs to Minamisaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The villages of Shimonakagomi and Seto merged to form the village of Nakase.
  • The villages of Hiraga and Otabe merged into the village of Tokowa. (※The former village of Kiyokawa in the village of Tokowa was merged into the village of Taguchi (later merged with the village of Aonuma to form the village of Taguchiaonuma→merged into the village of Usuda. Now part of the city of Saku))
  • The village of Uchiyama was formed without merging.
• April 1, 1899 The village of Hiraga absrobed the former village of Seto areas from the village of Nakase. On July 18, the village of Nakase renamed to the village of Nakagomi.
• November 1, 1919 The village of Nakagomi gained town status.
• August 1, 1956 The town of Nakagomi in Minamisaku District absorbed the villages of Hiraga and Uchiyama.

Former town of Mochizuki area in Kitasaku District

• 1875【circa】The town of Mochizukishin merged into the town of Mochizuku in Saku District. The village of Kanonjinitta merged into the village of Shigetai. The villages of Irikatakurayama, Iwashita, and Kasugashin merged into the village of Kasuga. The village of Makifuse, Irifuse, Shikibu, Nukei, Kyochu, Kutsusawayamanitta, and Maeyamasannitta merged to form the village of Fuse.
• 1876【circa】The village of Katakura, Hidai, Tenshinrin, Otanijinitta, Odaira, Mitsui, and Takaro merged to form the village of Kyowa.
• 1879【circa】Kitasaku District government enforced. The town of Mochizuki and the villages of Innai, Shigetai, Kasuga, Fuse, and Kyowa belongs ot Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The town of Mochizuki and the village of Innai and Shigetai merged to form the village of Honmaki.
  • The village of Kasuga was formed without merging.
  • The village of Fuse was founded without merging.
  • The village of Kyowa was founded without merging.
• April 1, 1954 The village of Honmaki gained town status.
• April 1, 1959 The town of Honmaki and the villages of Kasuga, Fuse, and Kyowa merged to reform the town of Mochizuki.

(※The town of Mochizuki was once dissolved since March 31, 1889)

• April 15, 1960 Shigetai area from the former town of Honmaki broke off and went to the town of Tateshina.

From the former city of Saku

• Sister Cities
  • Avallon
    Avallon
    Avallon is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in center-eastern France.-Geography:Avallon is located 50 km south-southeast of Auxerre, served by a branch of the Paris-Lyon railway and by exit 22 of the A6 motorway...
    
     (Yonne
    Yonne
    Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Burgundy in eastern France and its prefecture is Auxerre. Its official number is 89....
    
    , Bourgogne
    Bourgogne
    Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
    
    , France)

    Signed on July 14, 1976

  • Saku
    Saku
    Saku may refer to:*Saku, Nagano, a city in Japan*Saku, Nagano , a town in Japan*Saku Parish, a rural municipality in Harju County, Estonia**Saku, a small borough in Saku Parish, Harju County, Estonia*Saku Brewery, an Estonian brewery...
    
    , Harju County
    Harju County
    Harju County , or Harjumaa , nowadays one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the south-east, Rapla County to the south, and Lääne County to the south-west.528,468 people...
    
    , Estonia)

    Signed on May, 2008* Friendship Cities

  • Yurihonjo
    Yurihonjo, Akita
    is a city located in Akita, Japan.The city was founded on March 22, 2005 from the merger of the former city of Honjō and the former towns of Chōkai, Higashiyuri, Iwaki, Nishime, Ōuchi, Yashima and Yuri...
    
     (Akita Prefecture
    Akita Prefecture
    is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
    
    )

    From the former town of Yashima

    Yashima, Akita

    was a town located in Yuri District, Akita, Japan.On March 22, 2005 the city of Honjō and the towns of Chōkai, Higashiyuri, Iwaki, Nishime, Ōuchi, Yashima and Yuri, all from Yuri District, merged to form the new city of Yurihonjō....

    
    

  • Shizuoka
    Shizuoka, Shizuoka
    is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and the prefecture's second-largest city in terms of both population and area. It became one of Japan's 19 "designated cities" in 2005.-Geography:...
    
     (Shizuoka Prefecture
    Shizuoka Prefecture
    is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
    
    )

    From the former city of Shimizu

    Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka

    is one of three wards of the city of Shizuoka, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, located in the eastern part of the city.-Geography:Shimizu is located on the coast of Suruga Bay of the Pacific Ocean and covers a wide area from a coastal plain to the hills...

    
    

  • Kozushima
    Kōzushima, Tokyo
    is a village located in Ōshima Subprefecture, Tokyo, Japan.-Geography:Kōzushima Village covers the islands of Kōzushima, one of the northern islands in the Izu archipelago in the Philippine Sea, south of central Tokyo...
    
     (Tokyo)
  • Miyamae-ku
    Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki
    is one of the 7 wards of the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 217,251 and a density of 11,670 persons per km². The total area was 18.61 km²...
    
     (Kawasaki
    Kawasaki, Kanagawa
    is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
    
    , Kanagawa Prefecture
    Kanagawa Prefecture
    is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
    
    )
  • Wako
    Wako, Saitama
    is a city located in the southern part of Saitama, Japan, bordering on Tokyo.As of 1 May 2008, the city has an estimated population of 76,221. The total area is 11.04 km²....
    
     (Saitama Prefecture
    Saitama Prefecture
    is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
    
    )

From the former town of Usuda

• Ginga Federation - A friendship federation where the space research labs were once located in the past.

  Signed on November 8, 1987

  • Republic of Sanriku-ofunato (Ofunato
    Ofunato, Iwate
    is a coastal city located in Iwate, Japan.It was founded on April 1, 1952.On November 15, 2001, the town of Sanriku, from Kesen District, was merged into Ōfunato....
    
    )

    Originally signed under the Republic of Sanriku (Sanriku, Kesen District

    Kesen District, Iwate

    is a district located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Kesen consists of the cities of Ōfunato and Rikuzentakata and the town of Sumita. The area of Sanriku, home to Kitasato University of Fishery Sciences, was an independent town within Kesen until 2001, when it amalgamated with Ofunato.Ofunato is a...

    
    , Iwate Prefecture)

  • The Republic of Noshiro (Noshiro
    Noshiro, Akita
    is a city located in Akita, Japan.The city is known within Japan for the basketball team of . The city merged with the town of Futatsui on March 21, 2006 to become the new city of Noshiro. Noshiro was the site in 770 AD where Imperial Navies arrived and established Japan's first settlement in Oshu...
    
    , Akita Prefecture
    Akita Prefecture
    is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
    
    )
  • The Republic of Sagamihara (Sagamihara
    Sagamihara, Kanagawa
    is a city located in north central Kanagawa Prefecture, bordering Tokyo, Japan. It is the third most populous city in the prefecture, after Yokohama and Kawasaki, and the fifth most populous suburb of Greater Tokyo. Its northern neighbor is Machida, with which a cross-prefectural merger has been...
    
    , Kanagawa Prefecture
    Kanagawa Prefecture
    is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
    
    )
  • The Republic of Uchinoura-Kimotsuki (Kimotsuki
    Kimotsuki, Kagoshima
    is a town located in Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima, Japan.The town was formed on July 1, 2005 from the merger of the towns of Kōyama and Uchinoura, both from Kimotsuki District....
    
    , Kimotsuki District
    Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima
    Kimotsuki is a district located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of the January 1, 2006 merger but with 2003 population statistics, the district has an estimated population of 46,943 and a density of 65.9 persons per km²...
    
    , Kagoshima Prefecture
    Kagoshima Prefecture
    is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
    
    )

    Originally signed under the Republic of Uchinoura (Uchinoura

    Uchinoura, Kagoshima

    was a town located in Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On July 1, 2005 Uchinoura was merged with the town of Kōyama, also from Kimotsuki District, to form the new town of Kimotsuki....

    
    , Kimotsuki District

    Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima

    Kimotsuki is a district located in Kagoshima, Japan.As of the January 1, 2006 merger but with 2003 population statistics, the district has an estimated population of 46,943 and a density of 65.9 persons per km²...

    
    , Kagoshima Prefecture

    Kagoshima Prefecture

    is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...

    
    )

• Other friendship cities
  • Okazaki
    Okazaki, Aichi
    is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...
    
     (Aichi Prefecture
    Aichi Prefecture
    is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
    
    )

    Signed July 1, 1983 under Yukari-no-machi corporating

Education

College

• Shinshu Junior College

High school

• Iwamurada Highschool (900 students)
• Nozawa-kita Highschool
• Nozawa-minami Highschool
• Kitasaku-nougyou Highschool
• Saku-chosei Highschool
• Usuda Highschool
• Mochizuki Highschool
• Earth environment Highschool

Junior highschool

• Nakagomi Junior Highschool
• Asama Junior Highschool
• Nozawa Junior highschool
• Saku-higashi Junior highschool
• Asashina Junior highschool
• Usuda Junior highschool
• Mochizuki Junior highschool
• Saku-chosei Junior highschool

External links

• 佐久市・臼田町・浅科村・望月町合併協議会(Dissolved on March 31, 2005)
• 地域ポータルサイト：佐久ナビ
• Saku official website in Japanese
• Saku Kaiten Monument