Okaya, Nagano

Okaya
岡谷市
City
Okaya City Hall

Flag
Seal

Location of Okaya in Nagano
Okaya
 
Coordinates: 36°4′1.6″N 138°2′57.5″E / 36.067111°N 138.049306°E / 36.067111; 138.049306Coordinates: 36°4′1.6″N 138°2′57.5″E / 36.067111°N 138.049306°E / 36.067111; 138.049306
Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture Nagano
Government
 • Mayor Munehiro Miyazawa
Area
 • Total 85.10 km2 (32.86 sq mi)
Population (October 2016)
 • Total 49,758
 • Density 585/km2 (1,520/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols  
• Tree Taxus cuspidata
• Flower Azalea
Phone number 0266-23-4811
Address Saiwaichō 8-1, Okaya-shi, Nagano-ken 394-8510
Website http://www.city.okaya.lg.jp/
View of Okaya
Tenryū River flowing out of Lake Suwa in Okaya

Okaya (岡谷市, Okaya-shi) is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2016, the city had an estimated population of 49,758, and a population density of 585 persons per km². Its total area is 85.10 square kilometres (32.86 sq mi).

Geography

Okaya is located in central Nagano Prefecture at the outlet of Lake Suwa and the headwaters of the Tenryū River.

Surrounding municipalities

History

The area of present-day Okaya was part of ancient Shinano Province. The village of Hirano was created with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Hirano was raised to directly city status on April 1, 1936, and is one of the eleven villages in Japan which have skipped the intermediate town stage to directly become a city. Okay annexed neighbouring Shijiri town and Chikumaji village on January 1, 1951, followed by Minato village on January 1, 1955, Kawagishi village on February 1, 1955 and Osachi village on March 25, 1957.

Economy

The region's local industry is predominantly made up of medium and small-size businesses, but some larger corporations, including Seiko Epson, Olympus and Kyocera have factories in Okata.

From the Meiji period through the early Shōwa period (1868-1930), the Okaya area was one of Japan's largest producers of export-quality silk, due to the introduction of a new silk-reeling machine from overseas.

After the World War II, Okaya established itself as a manufacturing city of precision machinery, focusing on producing products such as watches and cameras.

Education

Okaya has seven public elementary schools and four public middle schools. The city has three public high schools operated by the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

International relations

Local attractions

  • Okaya is known for its Onbashira and Taiko festivals, and unagi (eel) dishes.
  • To remember the importance for the Japanese silk industry, the Okaya Silk Museum opened its doors in 1964. Besides pictures of the old manufacturing techniques and people working in the silk reeling manufactures, there is old machinery and a full-functioning manufacture that is run by the Miyasaka Silk Reeling Co. in the museum.[2][3]

Notable people from Okaya

Notes

  1. ↑ "Celebrating 40 Years as Sister Cities". Okaya International Exchange Association. Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  2. ↑ "The Okaya Silk Museum". Kimonogeisha.com. 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  3. ↑ "生糸をつくる" (in Japanese). Miyasaka Silk Reeling Co. 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
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