Article

20304 ／かわかみむら

Nagano Prefecture 南佐久郡

Kawakami Village

Jomon ring village on a 1,300 m plateau.

Omiyama Site, National Site

Photo by MChew (CC BY-SA 3.0)

01 ／ Jomon pottery

A prefectural treasure: a pot shapedlike an incense burner, mask-like.

The mask-like incense-burner-shaped pottery excavated at the Omiyama Site is one of the 158 pieces of the Nagano Prefecture Treasure "Distinctive Jomon Pottery of Shinshu," and Kawakami Village holds it. The site is a component of the Japan Heritage story "Jomon World of the Central Highlands under a Starry Sky," and excavated artifacts can be seen at the Kawakami Village Cultural Center.

One piece of the Prefectural Treasure "Distinctive Jomon Pottery of Shinshu"
Excavated at the Omiyama Site
Japan Heritage component

02 ／ Kawakami dog

A dog native to the village,said to descend from tamed mountain dogs.

The village describes the Kawakami dog as a Japanese breed native to Kawakami, with a tradition that hunters tamed mountain dogs of the Chichibu range. It was designated a natural monument as the Shinshu Shiba in 1921, the designation was lifted in 1965, and it was designated again as a Nagano Prefecture Natural Monument in 1983. Even puppies are said to endure winters below minus 25 degrees Celsius.

Japanese breed native to Kawakami
Re-designated Prefectural Natural Monument, 1983
Village at 1,100 to 1,400 m

03 ／ Highland vegetables

It began with Chinese cabbage;lettuce was first trialed in 1950.

According to the village's agricultural history, Mr. Imai began growing Chinese cabbage for shipment in 1934, and lettuce was introduced on a trial basis in 1950. Summer-autumn lettuce became a designated vegetable production area in 1969, and in 1989 a commemorative stone monument reading "Village of Origin of Highland Vegetables" was erected in the village.

1934: Chinese cabbage
1950: lettuce trial
1989: commemorative monument

Kawakami Village 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 November 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

Shinano-Kawakami Station on the Koumi Line is the gateway.

about 4,000 people
Rural district town

The village's access guide shows the way to Shinano-Kawakami Station on the Koumi Line from Kobuchizawa Station on the Chuo Line, and from Sakudaira Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and Shinano Railway. The village lies at 1,100 to 1,400 m, and the village bus has a stop named Kawakami Station.

People living here: 4,344people
Area: 209.61km²
Households: 1,257households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 2 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —0 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 3 prefectures.

Kawakami Village in Japan35.975°N 138.578°E

Territory of Kawakami Village

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

13.9km

Nagano Prefecture: Minamimaki Village, Minamiaiki Village
Yamanashi Prefecture: Hokuto City, Yamanashi City, Kofu City
Saitama Prefecture: Chichibu City
Gunma Prefecture: Ueno Village

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

Kawakami Village isthis kind of town.

01The Omiyama Site is a Middle Jomon site (4,500 to 5,000 years ago) on a 1,300 m plateau; the village calls it the highest ring-shaped settlement of its period, with 50 pit-dwelling sites found, and it is a National Historic Site
02The mask-like incense-burner-shaped pottery from the site is one piece of the Nagano Prefecture Treasure "Distinctive Jomon Pottery of Shinshu," and the Kawakami dog, native to the village, was designated again as a Nagano Prefecture Natural Monument in 1983
03The farming history runs from Chinese cabbage in 1934 to trial lettuce in 1950, and a commemorative monument to the village's highland vegetables stands in the village

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kawakami Village official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes