Minakami, Gunma

Minakami
みなかみ町
Town

Minakami town hall

Flag
Seal

Location of Minakami in Gunma Prefecture
Minakami

 

Coordinates: 36°40′42.8″N 138°59′56.9″E / 36.678556°N 138.999139°E / 36.678556; 138.999139Coordinates: 36°40′42.8″N 138°59′56.9″E / 36.678556°N 138.999139°E / 36.678556; 138.999139
Country Japan
Region Kantō
Prefecture Gunma Prefecture
District Tone
Area
 • Total 781.08 km2 (301.58 sq mi)
Population (February 2015)
 • Total 19,572
 • Density 25.1/km2 (65/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree Siebold’s beech
- Flower Kerria japonica
- Bird Japanese bush-warbler
Phone number 0278-62-2111
Address 318 Gokan, Minakami-mura, Tone-gun, Gunma-ken 379-1393
Website Official website

Minakami (みなかみ町 Minakami-machi) is a town located in Tone District of far northern Gunma Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of February 2015, the town had an estimated population of 19,572 and a population density of 25.1 persons per km². Its total area was 781.08 km². Much of the town is within the borders of Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park.

Geography

Located in northern Gunma, Minakami is bordered by Niigata Prefecture to the north. The town is very mountainous.

Surrounding municipalities

History

The Mikuni Kaidō connecting Takasaki with Niigata from the Heian period onwards passed through area of present-day Minakami, with nine post stations. The area was contested between the competing Uesugi, Takeda and Sanada clans during the Sengoku period. During the Edo period, it was partly under the control of Numata Domain , with the remainder as part of the tenryō holdings within Kōzuke Province administered directly by the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. On April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration, Minakami village was established within Tone District, Gunma. It was raised to town status on August 10, 1947. On October 1, 2005, the town of Tsukiyono and the village of Niiharu were merged into Minakami.

Economy

The economy of Minakami is heavily dependent on seasonal tourism to ski resorts and to onsen hot springs.

Education

Elementary schools

Middle Schools

High schools

Transportation

Railway

Highways

International relations

Local attractions

Onsen (Hot Springs)

Minakami has traditionally been an Onsen (hot spring) resort town with 8 major onsen sources and over 40 different bathing facilities to choose from.[1]

Ski Fields

Minakami has a good reputation for good snow conditions. There are 9 ski areas:

Outdoor

There are many different outdoor pursuits available in Minakami and it has become a very popular destination for outdoor adventure seekers. Some of the outdoor activities include:

Noted people from Minakami

References

  1. ↑ Minakami Onsen Information

Media related to Minakami, Gunma at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.