Ōmachi, Nagano

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ōmachi is a city in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It lies west of Nagano City, the prefectural capital. The city covers about 565 square kilometers and has around 27,600 residents.

Geography and climate
The Northern Japanese Alps (the Hida Mountains) are to the west of Ōmachi, with mountains to the east as well. The Takase River runs through the city, which sits in the northern Matsumoto basin. An active fault line, the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line, passes through Ōmachi. The climate is cold in winter with heavy snow and warm, wet summers. The average yearly temperature is about 9.7°C, and annual rainfall is around 1,406 mm. July is the rainiest month. Average temperatures are about 22°C in August and about -3°C in January.

History
The area was once part of Shinano Province and then of Matsumoto Domain in the Edo period. The modern town of Ōmachi was established in 1889. It merged with the villages of Taira, Tokiwa, and Yashiro in 1954 to form the city of Ōmachi, and later absorbed the villages of Miasa and Yasaka in 2006.

Government and politics
Ōmachi has a mayor and a city council with 16 members. It sends one village to the Nagano Prefectural Assembly. Nationally, it is part of the Nagano 2nd District.

Economy and education
The city is a regional commercial center and produces aluminum, cotton thread, and rice. Mountain tourism is important for the local economy. For education, Ōmachi operates five elementary schools, three junior high schools, and one combined elementary/middle school. The prefecture runs two high schools in the city.