Saku, Nagano

Saku 佐久市
City
Former Nakagomi School
Flag
Location of Saku in Nagano Prefecture
Saku Location in Japan
Coordinates: 36°15′N 138°29′E / 36.250°N 138.483°ECoordinates: 36°15′N 138°29′E / 36.250°N 138.483°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Nagano Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Gonzalo
Area
• Total	423.51 km^2 (163.52 sq mi)
Population (October 2015)
• Total	99,416
• Density	234.7/km^2 (608/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Larix kaempferi
• Flower	Cosmos
• Fish	Carp
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address	3056, Nakagomi, Saku-shi, Nagano-ken 385-8501
Website	city.saku.nagano.jp

Saku (佐久市 Saku-shi) is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Due to the re-founding of Saku on April 1, 2005, the city became the fifth city in Nagano Prefecture have a population over 100,000. However the latest population is now 99,416 and the total area is now expanded to 423.51 km², with a population density of 234 persons per km², as of October 1, 2015.

Since the opening of Sakudaira Station on the Nagano Shinkansen, many people have moved to Saku and commute to Tokyo by Shinkansen. It takes about one hour to get to Tokyo.

Geography

• Saku holds the distinction of containing the point furthest from the sea (actually this point lies within the former town of Usuda).

Surrounding municipalities

• Nagano Prefecture
  • Komoro, Chino, Tomi
  • Minamisaku District: Sakuho
  • Kitasaku District: Karuizawa, Miyota, Tateshina
• Gunma Prefecture
  • Kanra District: Shimonita, Nanmoku

Municipal timeline

• April 1, 1961 – The town of Asama, and the village of Higashi (from Kitasaku District) were merged with the towns of Nozawa and Nakagomi (both from Minamisaku District) to create the (old) city of Saku (1st).
• April 1, 2005 – Saku absorbed the town of Usuda (from Minamisaku District), the town of Mochizuki, and the village of Asashina (both from Kitasaku District) to create the new "city of Saku" (2nd).

Until the formation of the old city of Saku

Former town of Asama area in Kitasaku District

• c. 1875 The villages of Iwao, Ochiai, and Owada from Saku District merged to form the village of Naruse.
• May 1876 The villages of Akaiwa, Kamitsukabara, Shimotsukabara, Neneitsukabara, and Nakachi from Saku District merged to form the village of Tsukabara, and the village of Ichi from the same district merged with the village of Ichimurashinden to form the village of Ichida.
• c. 1879 Kitasaku District Government enforced. The villages of Iwamurada, Nagatoro, Sarukubo, Tsukabara, Nenei, Hiratsuka, Ichida, Naruse, Imai, Yokowa, Mikawada, Kamihirao, Shimohirao, and Yokone belongs to Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The town of Iwamurada in Kitasaku District absorbed the villages of Nagatoro and Sarukubo to gain town status.
  • The village of Tsukabara, Nenei, Hiratsuka, and Ichida from Kitasaku District merged to form the village of Nakasato.
  • The village of Naruse, Imai, Yokowa, and Mikawada 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 Iwamurada and the villages of Nakasato, Takase, and Hirane merged to form the town of Asama in Kitasaku District.

Former village of Higashi area in Kitasaku District

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

Former town of Nozawa area in Minamisaku District

• December 1874 The village of Maeyama in Saku District absorbes the village of Maeyamashinden, Shimo, and Naka.
• c. 1875 The village of Kamisakurai, Nakasakurai, Shimosakurai, and Sakuraishinden merged to form the village of Sakurai.
• May 1876 The villages of Takeda, Nukao, Kutsuzawa, and Hirai merged to form the village of Negishi, and the villages of Shimogata, Shimogatashinden, Shimohira, Imaoka, and Aihama merged to form the village of Tomono. In June, the village of Osawa absorbed the village of Osawashinden.
• c. 1879 Minamisaku District Government enforced. The villages of Nozawa, Hara, Toridemachi, Takayanagi, Honshinmachi, Atobe, Michizuka, Negishi, Tomono, 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, Kajiya, Honshinmachi, Atobe, and Michizuka.
  • The villages of Negishi and Tomono 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 2, 1876 The village of Hiraka in Saku District absorbed the village of Hirakashinmachi. The villages of Yamada, Kitazawa, and Kiyokawa merged to form the village of Tokiwa.
• c. 1879 Minamisaku District Government enforced. The villages of Shimonakagomi, Seto, Hiraka, Otabe, Tokiwa, 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 Nakaze.
  • The villages of Hiraka and Otabe merged into the village of Tokiwa. (※The former village of Kiyokawa in the village of Tokiwa 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 Hiraka absrobed the former village of Seto areas from the village of Nakaze. On July 18, the village of Nakaze 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 Hiraka and Uchiyama.

Until the formation of the new city of Saku

Former village of Asashina area in Kitasaku District

• May 30, 1876 The village of Shionada absorbed the village of Ichizaemonshinden in Saku District.
• c. 1879 Kitasaku District government enforced. The villages of Shionada, Mimayose, Gorobēshinden, Yawata, Yomogita, Kuwayama, and Yashima belongs to Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The villages of Shionada and Mimayose merged to form the village of Nakatsu.
  • The villages of Yawata, Yomogita, Kuwayama and Yashima merged to form the village of Minamimimaki.
• January 15, 1955 The villages of Nakatsu, Gorobēshinden and Minamimimaki merged to form the village of Asashina.

Former town of Mochizuki area in Kitasaku District

• c. 1875 The town of Mochizukishinden merged into the town of Mochizuki in Saku District. The village of Kannonjishinden merged into the village of Motai. The villages of Irikatakura, Iwashita, and Kasugashinmachi merged into the village of Kasuga. The village of Makifuse, Irifuse, Shikibu, Nukui, Nakai, Kutsuzawashinden, and Maeyamasanshinden merged to form the village of Fuse.
• c. 1876 The village of Katakura, Hidai, Tenjinbayashi, Oyachishinden, Kodaira, Mitsui, and Koro merged to form the village of Kyowa.
• c. 1879 Kitasaku District government enforced. The town of Mochizuki and the villages of Innai, Motai, Kasuga, Fuse, and Kyowa belongs to Kitasaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The town of Mochizuki and the villages of Innai and Motai merged to form the village of Motomaki.
  • 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 Motomaki gained town status.
• April 1, 1959 The town of Motomaki 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 Motai area from the former town of Motomaki broke off and went to the town of Tateshina.

Former town of Usuda area in Minamisaku District

• c. 1875 The village of Yuhara absorbed the village of Yuharashinden in Saku District.
• August 2, 1876 The villages of Tanokuchi and Kaminakagomi merged into the village of Taguchi.
• c. 1879 Minamisaku District government enforced. The villages of Usuda, Shimootagiri, Katsuma, Kamiotagiri, Nakaotagiri, Nakaotagirishinden, Yuhara, Mibun, Shimogoe, Taguchi, Irisawa and Hirabayashi belongs to Minamisaku District.
• April 1, 1889 The city, town, and village status enforced.
  • The village of Usuda absorbed the villages of Shimootagiri and Katsuma.
  • The villages of Kamiotagiri, Nakaotagiri, Nakaotagirishinden and Yuhara merged to form the village of Kirihara.
  • The village of Taguchi absorbed the villages of Mibun and Shimogoe, and the former village of Kiyokawa in the village of Tokiwa.
  • The villages of Irisawa and Hirabayashi merged to form the village of Aonuma
• June 30, 1951 The village of Usuda gained town status.
• August 1, 1955 The town of Usuda absorbed the village of Kirihara.
• September 30, 1956 The villages of Taguchi and Aonuma merged to form the village of Taguchiaonuma.
• April 1, 1957 The town of Usuda absorbed the village of Taguchiaonuma.
• April 1, 1959 Sohara, Haguroshita and Hirabayashi area from the former village of Taguchiaonuma broke off and went to the town of Saku.

Sister cities or town twinning

From the former city of Saku

• Sister cities
  • Avallon (Yonne, Burgundy, France)

    Signed on July 14, 1976

  • Saku, (Harju County, Estonia)

    Signed on May 1, 2007 * Friendship Cities

  • Sükhbaatar (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

    Signed on August 4, 2008 * Friendship Cities

  • Yurihonjō (Akita Prefecture)

    From the former town of Yashima

  • Shizuoka (Shizuoka Prefecture)

    From the former city of Shimizu

  • Kōzushima (Tokyo)
  • Miyamae-ku (Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture)
  • Wakō (Saitama Prefecture)

From the former town of Usuda

• Ginga Federation – A friendship federation where the space research labs of Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (now Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) were once located in the past.

  Signed on November 8, 1987

  • Republic of Sanriku-ōfunato (Ōfunato)

    Originally signed under the Republic of Sanriku (Sanriku, Kesen District, Iwate Prefecture)

  • The Republic of Noshiro (Noshiro, Akita Prefecture)
  • The Republic of Sagamihara (Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture)
  • The Republic of Uchinoura-Kimotsuki (Kimotsuki, Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima Prefecture)

    Originally signed under the Republic of Uchinoura (Uchinoura, Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima Prefecture)

  • The Republic of Kakuda (Kakuda, Miyagi Prefecture)
• Other friendship cities
  • Okazaki (Aichi Prefecture)

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

Education

University

• Saku University

College

• Shinshu Junior College

High school

• Iwamurada High School (900 students)
• Nozawa-kita High School
• Nozawa-minami High School
• Sakudaira-Sōgō-Gijutsu High School (Open on April 1, 2015 from the combination of Kitasaku-nōgyō High School, Usuda High School, and the industry course of Iwamurada High School)
• Saku-chōsei High School
• Mochizuki High School
• Earth environment High School

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

Tourist attractions

• Saku Balloon Festival
• Saku Ski Garden "Parada"
• Shinkai Sansha-jinja Shrine
• Tatsuoka Castle Site
• Former Nakagomi School
• Usuda Star Dome
• Kasuga Onsen

• 
  Tatsuoka Castle Site
• 
  Former Nakagomi School
• 
  Usuda Star Dome

References

External links

• Saku official website (Japanese)
• 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