Nanao, Ishikawa

File:Noto Yosakoi Wakura 01.jpg

Ishizaki Kiriko Lantern Festival in August

Template:Nihongo is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Template:As of, the city had an estimated population of 49,660 people in 21,809 households.<ref>Official home page</ref> The total area of the city was Template:Convert. Nanao is the fifth largest city by population in Ishikawa, behind Kanazawa, Hakusan, Komatsu, and Kaga.

Geography

Nanao occupies the southeastern coast of Noto Peninsula and is bordered by the Sea of Japan on the east and north, and Toyama Prefecture to the south. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Noto Hantō Quasi-National Park. The name "Nanao" (七尾) literally means "Seven Tails" and is said to be named for the seven mountain ridges (or "tails") surrounding Nanao that are visible when viewed from Joyama (七尾城山), site of the city's historical castle ruins. These ridges are called Kikuo (菊尾, "Chrysanthemum Tail"), Kameo (亀尾, "Turtle Tail"), Matsuo (松尾, "Pine Tail"), Torano'o (虎尾, "Tiger Tail"), Takeo (竹尾, "Bamboo Tail"), Umeo (梅尾, "Plum Tail"), and Tatsuo (龍尾, "Dragon Tail").

Neighbouring municipalities

• Ishikawa Prefecture
  • Anamizu
  • Nakanoto
  • Shika
• Toyama Prefecture
  • Himi

Climate

Nanao has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterised by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nanao is 13.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2392 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.9 °C.<ref>Nanao climate data</ref> Template:Weather box

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,<ref>Nanao population statistics</ref> the population of Nanao has declined over the past 40 years. Template:Historical populations

History

{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Unreferenced }} The area around Nanao was part of ancient Noto Province and contained the Nara period provincial capital and provincial temple. During the Sengoku Period (1467–1568), Nanao Castle was a major stronghold of the Hatakeyama clan, and was contested by the Uesugi clan and Maeda clan. The area became part Kaga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, with the exception of the Tsuruhama area, which was retained by the shogunate directly as tenryō territory.

Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organised into Kashima District, Ishikawa. The town of Nanao was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to city status on July 20, 1939.

On October 1, 2004, Nanao expanded by annexing the neighbouring municipalities of Nakajima, Notojima and Tatsuruhama (all from Kashima District).

On March 25, 2007, the 2007 Noto earthquake caused some property damage in Nanao, but no fatalities.

Government

Nanao has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

Economy

Nanao is a regional commercial centre and a seaport on the Sea of Japan. Manufacturing, especially of bricks and cement, lumber processing, tourism, and agriculture are all major contributors of the local economy.<ref name=Japan>Template:Cite book</ref>

Education

Nanao has 13 public elementary schools and four middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high school operated by the Ishikawa Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private high school. The prefecture also operates one special education school.

Transportation

Railway

File:JR logo (west).svg West Japan Railway Company - Nanao Line

• Template:STN - Template:STN - Template:STN

File:Nototetsudo logo.jpg Noto Railway - Nanao Line

• Template:STN - Template:STN- Template:STN - Template:STN - Template:STN - Template:STN

Highway

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Seaports

• Port of Nanao

Air

The city does not have an airport. The nearest airports are:

• Noto Airport, located Template:Convert south. The airport only provides one flight to Tokyo operated by ANA Airways.
• Toyama Airport, located Template:Convert south east. The airport provides domestic flights and international flights to parts of China and Taiwan.
• Komatsu Airport, located Template:Convert south west. The airport primarily serves domestic flights and international flights to China, South Korea and Taiwan.

Local attractions

File:Seihakusai Matsuri Dekayama from Nanao City.jpg

The Dekayama, a large mikoshi on wheels, passing through the crowd at the Seihakusai matsuri of Nanao

• Ishikawa Nanao Art Museum
• Nanao Castle site
• Noto Kokubun-ji site
• Notojima Glass Art Museum
• Susoezoana Kofun
• Wakura Onsen
• Yamanotera

In popular culture

The manga series Kimi wa Hōkago Insomnia and its live-action and anime adaptations take place in Nanao.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notable people from Nanao

• Min Ayahana, manga artist
• Wajima Hiroshi, sumo wrestler
• Kenta Matsudaira, Professional Table Tennis player
• Hasegawa Tōhaku, ancient Japanese painter

Sister cities

• Template:Flagicon Bratsk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia<ref name=International/>
• Template:Flagicon Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang, South Korea<ref name=International/>
• Template:Flagicon Jinzhou, Dalian, Liaoning, China<ref name=International>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Template:Flagicon Monterey, California, United States<ref name=International/>
• Template:Flagicon Morgantown, Kentucky, United States<ref name=International/>

External links

• Template:Wikivoyage-inline
• Template:Official Template:In lang
• A list of festivals and events in Nanao Template:In lang

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