Article

20383 ／みのわまち

Nagano Prefecture 上伊那郡

Minowa Town

Iida Line electric loco sits out front.

ED19-1, local history museum

Photo by Saigen Jiro (CC0)

01 ／ Matsushima Ohaka Tumulus

Round projections flank its waist,on a tumulus 58 m long.

A prefecturally designated historic site, estimated to date from the late 6th century and 58 m long. The town describes it as a Kurumazuka-type mound, with round projections on both sides of the narrow waist, and as the only keyhole-shaped tumulus in Kamiina. The front part is 32 m wide and 7.7 m high; the rear part is 30 m across and 7 m high.

Prefectural historic site (town's description)
58 m long (front 32 m wide, rear 30 m across)
Estimated late 6th century

02 ／ Furuta puppet theater

Puppets offered in prayers against wind,taught technique by Awaji puppeteers.

These manipulated puppets have been handed down in Kamifuruta since the mid-Edo period. The town says they began as offerings to Minowa Furuta Shrine, in prayers for protection from wind and to avoid drought. Puppeteers from Awaji later gave technical guidance. It is puppet joruri in which the chanter, puppeteers and shamisen player act as one, and a preservation society carries it on.

Prefectural selected intangible folk cultural property (prefectural list)
Preservation society: 16 members (as of December 2024)
Chanter, puppeteers and shamisen act as one

03 ／ Nagaoka Shrine main hall

The main hall's costs and donationssurvive in a written record.

The town's newsletter says the main hall, built in the first year of Kyowa (1801), is the work of Tachikawa Washiro Tomimune, the first master carpenter of the Suwa Tachikawa school, which built the worship hall of Suwa Taisha's lower shrine. A record of the construction costs and donations, the Nagaoka Shrine main hall construction record, also survives and is a town-designated tangible cultural property.

Town tangible cultural property (hall and record)
Built in the first year of Kyowa (1801)
Master carpenter: Tachikawa Washiro Tomimune

Minowa 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 April 2016)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

A town where river terraces spread on both banks of the Tenryu.

about 20,000 people
Rural district town

Located in the north of Kamiina District, near the center of Nagano Prefecture, the town describes its landform as a typical river terrace. The Tenryu River runs through it from north to south, and the JR Iida Line has three stations in town: Ina-Matsushima, Kinoshita and Sawa. Its area is 85.91 km². It was formed in 1955 by the merger of three towns and villages. The gateway is Ina-Matsushima Station, 3 minutes by car to the town office.

People living here: 24,989people
Area: 85.91km²
Households: 9,504households
Rent (average for rentals): 46,801yen
Healthcare: 1 hospital ／ 14 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —7 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.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Minowa Town in Japan35.915°N 137.982°E

to NagoyaHighway bus203min

Travel times follow 名鉄バス公式「名古屋⇔駒ヶ根・伊那」（高速バス・予約制。運行は名鉄バス・伊那バス・信南交通。ハイウェイバスドットコムで予約）の時刻表 (checked 2026-10-21). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities.

Territory of Minowa 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

9.4km

Ina City, Tatsuno Town, Minamiminowa Village, Suwa City

Minowa Town isthis kind of town.

01ED19-1 is an electric locomotive that once ran on the Iida Line and is displayed in the front yard of the Minowa Town local history museum. The town describes it as the only one left in the world, and held a railway materials exhibition in 2026 to mark what it calls 100 years since its manufacture
02Matsushima Ohaka Tumulus is a 58 m prefectural historic site that the town describes as Kurumazuka-type. Furuta puppet theater is a prefectural selected intangible folk cultural property handed down in Kamifuruta since the mid-Edo period. Nagaoka Shrine's main hall dates from 1801 and is a town tangible cultural property
03Fukuyo Castle ruins and Kaminotaira Castle ruins are prefectural historic sites, the Kinoshita zelkova is a prefectural natural monument, and the town describes the seated Amida Nyorai at Muryoji Temple as a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. The town was formed in 1955 by the merger of three towns and villages

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Minowa Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes