Nakatsugawa, Gifu

Nakatsugawa
中津川市
City

Flag
Symbol

Location of Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture
Nakatsugawa

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 35°29′N 137°30′E / 35.483°N 137.500°E / 35.483; 137.500Coordinates: 35°29′N 137°30′E / 35.483°N 137.500°E / 35.483; 137.500
Country Japan
Region Chūbu
Prefecture Gifu Prefecture
Government
 • Mayor Kōji Ōyama (since May 2004)[1]
Area
 • Total 676.38 km2 (261.15 sq mi)
Population (July 2011[2])
 • Total 80,573
 • Density 120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Symbols
 • Tree Sciadopitys verticillata
 • Flower Enkianthus campanulatus
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City hall address Kayanoki-chō 2-1, Nakatsugawa-shi, Gifu-ken
508-8501
Website www.city.nakatsugawa.gifu.jp

Nakatsugawa (中津川市, Nakatsugawa-shi) is a city located in the Tōnō region of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1952.

History

Downtown area of Nakatsugawa

During Japan's Edo period, Nakatsugawa was a post town, known as Nakatsugawa-juku, one of the 69 Stations of the Nakasendō along the Nakasendō. The travel route ran from the Nihonbashi in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Sanjō Ōhashi in the imperial capital of Kyoto. It was one of the five major routes used in the Edo period, and one of two that connected Edo and Kyoto. Nakatsugawa is planned as a stop for the Chūō Shinkansen maglev train line.

Mergers

On February 13, 2005, the towns of Tsukechi, Fukuoka and Sakashita and the villages of Hirukawa, Kashimo and Kawaue (all from the former Ena District), and the village of Yamaguchi (from Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture) were merged into Nakatsugawa.[3]

Following the merger, the city had an estimated population of 86,498 and a population density of 128 persons per km². The post-merger total area is 676.38 km².

Local Specialties

The Japanese place a high priority on food, particularly during traveling and touring, and most regions in Japan are well known for their particular local delicacies. For the Japanese, sampling these on one's travels is considered one of the highlights of travel within Japan.

Nakatsugawa is known for its abundant chestnut harvest and the chestnut delicacies known as kurikinton (栗きんとん). Kurikinton are produced by first boiling and then mashing the chestnuts, then mixing them with sugar and reforming them into a chestnut shape. They are widely available during the Autumn months. Many families make their own in their own kitchens, while purchased kurikinton are extremely popular as well for home consumption and as gifts.

Transportation

Railroad

References

  1. ↑ 市長のページ:プロフィール. Nakatsugawa official page (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  2. ↑ 岐阜県の人口・世帯数人口動態統計調査結果. Gifu prefectural website (in Japanese). Gifu Prefecture. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  3. ↑ "中津川市紹介（HP版）07.03.27" (PDF). Nakatsugawa official website (in Japanese). Retrieved August 19, 2011.
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