Ōtaki, Nagano

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Ōtaki (王滝村, Ōtaki-mura^?) is a village located in Kiso District, Nagano, Japan.

[edit] HISTORY

-1504: There remains a record of Otaki being established at this time as part of the Chikuma Region of Shinano

-1868: Takigoshi Village (滝越村)is incorporated as part of Otaki.

-1871: With the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, Otaki becomes part of Nagoya Prefecture, but is amalgamated, along with other prefectures, in November of that year to become part of Chikuma Prefecture.

-1876: The section of Chikuma Prefecture where Otaki is located becomes part of Nagano Prefecture, thus becoming Otaki Village, Chikuma District, Nagano Prefecture.

-May 1, 1968: The Chikuma District has it's name changed to it's current "Kiso District".

-1979: Mt. Ontake erupts.

-September 14, 1984: Nagano Western Earthquake causes a section of Mt. Ontake to crumble and flow into the Otaki Valley. 29 people are reported dead or missing and 87 homes are destroyed.

[edit] Present-day Otaki

At present Otaki's land area is 310.86 km2 of which 295.85 km2 (95%) is forestland; 86% of which is designated national forest. This is a pattern that has developed over time starting in the 16th century when a large majority of forestland in the Kiso Valley was claimed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, in part to build his castle at Inuyama.

Demographically, Otaki is undergoing drastic changes. The population structure of Otaki is similar to that found in rural areas across Japan; a rising elderly population coupled with a decline in overall population. Otaki’s population currently stands at 995, down from 1,768 in 1980. During this same period the rate of elderly residents has risen to 32.4%.　　Though tourism remains the primary industry in Otaki, tourist numbers (including skiers and worshipers) have declined in recent years. After tourism, manufacturing jobs are the most prevalent, followed finally by agriculture. On the ground, this pattern takes the form of elderly residents engaging in agricultural work, while younger family members (if any remain in the village) work outside of the home.

At present Otaki is struggling economically. For 2008 roughly 3/4 of Otaki’s annual budget is slated for administrative and financial operations, with almost a quarter of this being used to pay back public debt. This leaves only a fraction of funds for use in providing basic services such as sanitation, health, and education. Major cuts have been made to the salaries of village employees and to money spent social, cultural, and educational activities. As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 1,184 and a density of 3.81 persons per km². The total area is 310.86 km².