Saku, Nagano

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This article is about the city of Saku, Nagano. For other uses, see Saku (disambiguation).

**Saku**
**佐久市**
Saku's location in Nagano, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Nagano
Physical characteristics
Area	423.99 km² (163.70 sq mi)
Population (as of January 2008)
Total	100,077
Density	236 /km² (611 /sq mi)
Location	36°15′N, 138°29′E
Symbols
Flag
Saku Government Office
Mayor	Yukio Ishii
Address	〒385-8501 3056, Nakagomi, Saku-shi, Nagano-ken
Phone number	0267-62-2111
Official website: Saku City

Saku (佐久市, Saku-shi^?) is a city located in Nagano, 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 423.99km² as of January 1, 2008.

Since the opening of the Sakudaira station of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (super express train), many people have moved to Saku and commute to Tokyo by Shinkansen. It takes about one hour to get to Tokyo. Saku is regarded as a comfortable city in which to live.

1 Geography
2 Surrounding Municipalities
3 Municipal timeline
4 Until the formation of the old city of Saku
5 Until the formation of the new city of Saku
- 5.1 Former town of Mochizuki area in Kitasaku District
6 Sister Cities or Town Twinning
- 6.1 From the former city of Saku
- 6.2 From the former town of Usuda
7 Education
8 External links

[edit] Geography

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

[edit] Surrounding Municipalities

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

[edit] Municipal timeline

April 1, 1961 The town of Asama and the village of Azuma from Kitasaku District merged with the towns of Nozawa and Nakagomi from Minamisaku District to form the (old) city of Saku.
April 1, 2005 The city merged with the town of Usuda from Minamisaku District and the town of Mochizuki and the village of Asashina from Kitasaku District to form the new "city of Saku".

[edit] Until the formation of the old city of Saku

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Until the formation of the new city of Saku

[edit] 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.

[edit] Sister Cities or Town Twinning

[edit] From the former city of Saku

Sister Cities
- Avallon (Yonne, Bourgogne, France)
  
  Signed on July 14, 1976
Friendship Cities
- Yurihonjo (Akita Prefecture)
  
  From the former town of Yashima
- Shizuoka (Shizuoka Prefecture)
  
  From the former city of Shimizu
- Kozushima (Tokyo)
- Miyamae-ku (Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture)
- Wako (Saitama Prefecture)

[edit] 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)
  
  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)
Other friendship cities
- Okazaki (Aichi Prefecture)
  
  Signed July 1, 1983 under Yukari-no-machi corporating