Tatsuno, Nagano
Encyclopedia
is a town
located in Kamiina District
, Nagano
, Japan
.
As of 2003, the town has an estimated population
of 22,312 and a density
of 132.01 persons per km². The total area is 169.02 km². The altitude is 723 m.
. 36N and 138E intersect at Tatsuno. The Tenryū river
runs the center of Tatsuno. Tatsuno is surrounded by the mountains, rich in nature environment.
Tatsuno town is located in the central part of Japan
. It is takes about 3 hours from Tokyo
, 2 hours from Nagoya, 5 hours from Kyoto
by train and equally by car. There are many beautiful spots, cultural assets and historical relics in Tatsuno.
. As Tatsuno is famous for their fireflies, Waitomo, New Zealand is famous for their glowworms and the bond was forged because of these and other similarities. In February 1999, the Tatsuno Japanese Garden was officially opened at the Southern end of Rora Street. Many of the items used in the traditional Japanese Garden were donated by the city of Tatsuno. In 2005, The Waitomo Garden was opened in Tatsuno, to commemorate 10 Years of Sister City relations. The sister-city relationship is a bond, of cultural and commemorative ties, introduced after World War I
, to establish friendship between different cultures.
Tatsuno and Waitomo participate in student exchange programmes annually, to develop and foster young relationships between these two towns. Waitomo District Council hold speech competitions for senior students, each year, with the winners receiving an experience in Tatsuno.
(called in Japan) emerging every summer.
About 40 years ago, Mr Katsuno got many non-native fireflies from firefliy dealers in other areas and then released them into the Matsuo-kyo area in this town. Since then, government officials instructed by Mr Katsuno have bred many non-native fireflies in the field, so native fireflies seem to have gone extinct in the Matsuo-kyo area. There are a great deal of genetic and ecological differences between the native and introduced Genji fireflies just like a native and an introduced species
.
Recently, this history of the intentional introduction of non-native fireflies and their bad influence in Tatsuno were shown in an academic journal.
This ecological problem in Tatsuno was also reported by several major newspapers.
Like other introduced species
, the non-native fireflies will also spread into other areas in this town. The town government should protect native fireflies, but they (government officials and the mayor) have not tried to do it. One of the reasons may be that even non-native fireflies are helpful for tourism bringing money. Local governments in Japan are generally responsible for protecting biodiversity, because Japan has ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity
. However, the Tatsuno town government has been neglecting it. Researches on fireflies in Tatsuno is being stopped by this local government.
Tourists should not only enjoy watching fireflies, but also pay attention to the bad influence of non-native fireflies. They also should consider how native fireflies are protected.
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 Kamiina District
Kamiina District, Nagano
Kamiina is a district located in Nagano, Japan.As of May, 2008, the district has an estimated Population of 86,453 and a Density of 168 persons/km²...
, 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
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 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 22,312 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 132.01 persons per km². The total area is 169.02 km². The altitude is 723 m.
Geography
Tatsuno lies in the center of JapanJapan
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...
. 36N and 138E intersect at Tatsuno. The Tenryū river
Tenryu River
The is a river arising from Lake Suwa in Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, grazing Aichi Prefecture and flowing through western Shizuoka Prefecture in central Honshū, Japan. With a length of , it is Japan's ninth longest river.-Geography:...
runs the center of Tatsuno. Tatsuno is surrounded by the mountains, rich in nature environment.
Tatsuno town is located in the central part of 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...
. It is takes about 3 hours 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...
, 2 hours from Nagoya, 5 hours from Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
by train and equally by car. There are many beautiful spots, cultural assets and historical relics in Tatsuno.
Sister city
Tatsuno has a sister city in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. As Tatsuno is famous for their fireflies, Waitomo, New Zealand is famous for their glowworms and the bond was forged because of these and other similarities. In February 1999, the Tatsuno Japanese Garden was officially opened at the Southern end of Rora Street. Many of the items used in the traditional Japanese Garden were donated by the city of Tatsuno. In 2005, The Waitomo Garden was opened in Tatsuno, to commemorate 10 Years of Sister City relations. The sister-city relationship is a bond, of cultural and commemorative ties, introduced after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, to establish friendship between different cultures.
Tatsuno and Waitomo participate in student exchange programmes annually, to develop and foster young relationships between these two towns. Waitomo District Council hold speech competitions for senior students, each year, with the winners receiving an experience in Tatsuno.
History
The 1st town was founded on January 1, 1947 when the village of Inatomi gained town status and renamed to Tatsuno. The current town was founded on April 1, 1955 when the 1st town merged with the village of Asahi to create the new town of Tatsuno.Notable place
: one of the most famous places in Japan for many firefliesFireflies
Fireflies is a novel by Shiva Naipaul originally published in 1970. It was his first book, a comic novel set in Trinidad. In an essay in An Unfinished Journey, Naipaul described how in 1968 as a final year student at Oxford University studying Chinese, he had been moved to write down a sentence,...
(called in Japan) emerging every summer.
Fireflies in Matsuo-kyo
Many tourists go there to watch fireflies twinkling. The Tatsuno town government stresses in its homepage or brochure that it has kept protecting fireflies for a long time, but it is not necessarily true.About 40 years ago, Mr Katsuno got many non-native fireflies from firefliy dealers in other areas and then released them into the Matsuo-kyo area in this town. Since then, government officials instructed by Mr Katsuno have bred many non-native fireflies in the field, so native fireflies seem to have gone extinct in the Matsuo-kyo area. There are a great deal of genetic and ecological differences between the native and introduced Genji fireflies just like a native and an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
.
Recently, this history of the intentional introduction of non-native fireflies and their bad influence in Tatsuno were shown in an academic journal.
This ecological problem in Tatsuno was also reported by several major newspapers.
Like other introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
, the non-native fireflies will also spread into other areas in this town. The town government should protect native fireflies, but they (government officials and the mayor) have not tried to do it. One of the reasons may be that even non-native fireflies are helpful for tourism bringing money. Local governments in Japan are generally responsible for protecting biodiversity, because Japan has ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
. However, the Tatsuno town government has been neglecting it. Researches on fireflies in Tatsuno is being stopped by this local government.
Tourists should not only enjoy watching fireflies, but also pay attention to the bad influence of non-native fireflies. They also should consider how native fireflies are protected.