Kitaaiki (original) (raw)

Village in Chūbu, Japan

Kitaaiki 北相木村
Village
Kitaaiki Town HallKitaaiki Town Hall
Flag of KitaaikiFlagOfficial seal of KitaaikiSeal
Location of Kitaaiki in Nagano PrefectureLocation of Kitaaiki in Nagano Prefecture
Kitaaiki is located in JapanKitaaikiKitaaiki
Coordinates: 36°3′33.1″N 138°33′4.2″E / 36.059194°N 138.551167°E / 36.059194; 138.551167
Country Japan
Region Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture Nagano
District Minamisaku
Area
• Total 56.32 km2 (21.75 sq mi)
Population (April 2019)
• Total 755
• Density 13/km2 (35/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree Larch
• Flower Rhododendron
• Bird Copper pheasant
Phone number 0267-77-2111
Address 2774 Kitaaiki-mura, Minamisaku-gun, Nagano-ken 384-1201
Website Official website

Summit of Mount Ogura

Kitaaiki (北相木村, Kitaaiki-mura) is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 April 2019[update], the village had an estimated population of 755 in 350 households,[1] and a population density of 13 persons per km2. The total area of the village is 56.32 square kilometres (21.75 sq mi).

Kitaaiki is located in mountainous eastern Nagano Prefecture, bordered by Gunma Prefecture to the east. More than 90% of the village area is covered by mountains and forest. Mount Ogura (2,112 meters) is the highest point in the village.

Surrounding municipalities

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The village has a humid continental climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cold winters (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The average annual temperature in Kitaaiki is 7.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1513 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 20.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around −4.7 °C.[2]

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Kitaaiki has decreased over the past 70 years and is now less than a third of what it was in 1950.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±%
1940 1,871
1950 2,262 +20.9%
1960 2,104 −7.0%
1970 1,787 −15.1%
1980 1,299 −27.3%
1990 1,194 −8.1%
2000 1,025 −14.2%
2010 843 −17.8%
2020 752 −10.8%

The area of present-day Kataaiki was part of ancient Shinano Province, and was mentioned in Muromachi period records. The present village of Kitaaiki was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

Kitaaiki has one public elementary school operated by the village government. The village shares a public middle school with neighboring Minamiaika. The village does not have a high school.

The forest mountains have made Kitaaiki an isolated rural village. Kitaaiki is known for its cool and pleasant mountain climate and tourists come to the village to escape the summer heat.

  1. ^ Kitaaiki Village official statistics(in Japanese)
  2. ^ Kitaaiki climate data
  3. ^ Kitaaiki population statistics