Article

20404 ／あなんちょう

Nagano Prefecture 下伊那郡

Anan Town

A town-designated cedar flanks the hall.

Waseda Shrine's great cedar

Photo by 濃間 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Niino Snow Festival

When there is no snow, they fetch it from the pass.Even a handful is believed necessary before the deity.

The Niino Snow Festival, a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, runs from the night of January 14 into the next morning at Izu Shrine. Snow on the day is said to mean a good harvest, and when Niino has none, the town's site says, they go to the pass to fetch it. The masks are finished with only ink, chalk and red ochre, and today number 19 kinds.

Nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property
19 kinds of masks
In 2026, held January 14 to 15

02 ／ Niino Bon Dance

At dawn, the procession sending off the godsis blocked by a ring of dancers unwilling to stop.

From the night of August 14 to 16 until the next morning, the dance goes on without shamisen, flute or drums. At dawn on the 17th, dancing is supposed to stop once the head of the procession passes; the town's site records that dancers reluctant to end it form small rings to block it. Urugi Village records that the dance reached it from Niino.

Nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property
Paper lanterns made by hand by three people
Part of the Furyu-odori, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2022

03 ／ Origin of the Town Name

"South of the Achi River, so Anan."In 1891 young men made it the name of their association.

Origin of the Town Name in Anan Town — Photo by Opqr (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The town's site records that the Anan Youth Association, organized by young men in 1891, was the first use of the name Anan. When names were sought before the town's founding in 1957, 300 entries came in, 95 different names. The final two were Anan Town and Minami-Shinano Town. The town says it is the only town in Nagano Prefecture read with "cho."

300 entries, 95 names
Town founded in 1957
Final two: Anan Town and Minami-Shinano Town

Anan Town from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot May 2022)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

On the prefectural border, a weekday bus links the town.

about 4,000 people
Rural district town

The town lies in the south of the prefecture and borders Toyone Village in Aichi Prefecture. There is no railway station in the town; the town's site says the Nanbu public bus runs on weekdays and does not run on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. The gateway is Anan Town Office.

People living here: 4,299people
Area: 123.07km²
Households: 1,611households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 1 hospital ／ 5 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —3 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 7 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Anan Town in Japan35.324°N 137.816°E

Territory of Anan Town

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

18.1km

Nagano Prefecture: Tenryu Village, Urugi Village, Shimojo Village, Yasuoka Village, Achi Village, Hiraya Village
Aichi Prefecture: Toyone Village

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Anan Town isthis kind of town.

01The great cedar of Waseda Shrine was designated a natural monument by Anan Town in 1977 and stands beside the shrine's worship hall; the same shrine holds a prefectural treasure, a bronze gong
02The Niino Snow Festival and the Niino Bon Dance are both nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties; so is the Wago Nenbutsu Dance, and the Waseda puppet theater is a nationally selected intangible folk cultural property
03The town's name comes from the south of the Achi River. The town's fossil museum opened in 1977 on specimens gathered by students of the former Tomikusa Junior High School; the Tomikusa Group strata they come from were laid down on a sea floor about 17 million years ago

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Anan Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes