Kiso, Nagano (town)

For Kiso Village (Kiso-mura), see Kiso, Nagano (village).

Kiso (木曽町, Kiso-machi) is a town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 5 April 2019^[update], the town had an estimated population of 11,045 in 4892 households,^[1] and a population density of 23 persons per km². The total area of the town is 476.03 square kilometres (183.80 sq mi). Kiso Town is listed as one of The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan.^[2]

Kiso 木曽町
Town
Flag Seal
Location of Kiso Town in Nagano Prefecture
Kiso
Coordinates: 35°50′33.1″N 137°41′29.6″E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Nagano
District	Kiso
Area
• Total	476.03 km2 (183.80 sq mi)
Population  (April 2019)
• Total	11,045
• Density	23/km2 (60/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0264-22-3000
Address	2326-1 Fukushima, Kiso-machi, Kiso-gun, Nagano-ken 397-8588
Climate	Dfa
Website	Official website

Center of Kiso town

Fukushima-juku

Geography

Kiso is located in mountainous southwest Nagano Prefecture, bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the west.

Surrounding municipalities

• Gifu Prefecture
  • Gero
  • Takayama
• Nagano Prefecture
  • Agematsu
  • Ina
  • Kiso (village)
  • Matsumoto
  • Miyada
  • Ōtaki
  • Shiojiri

Climate

The town has a climate characterized by characterized by warm and humid summers, and cold winters with heavy snowfall (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The average annual temperature in Kiso is 10.8 °C (51.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,926.7 mm (75.85 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 23.2 °C (73.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around −1.4 °C (29.5 °F).^[3]

Climate data for Kisofukushima, Kiso (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	15.2 (59.4)	19.3 (66.7)	23.4 (74.1)	28.0 (82.4)	31.3 (88.3)	32.6 (90.7)	35.2 (95.4)	36.1 (97.0)	35.4 (95.7)	30.8 (87.4)	23.8 (74.8)	19.4 (66.9)	36.1 (97.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	4.5 (40.1)	6.0 (42.8)	10.5 (50.9)	16.7 (62.1)	22.0 (71.6)	24.8 (76.6)	28.0 (82.4)	29.8 (85.6)	25.8 (78.4)	20.0 (68.0)	13.9 (57.0)	7.5 (45.5)	17.5 (63.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−1.4 (29.5)	−0.5 (31.1)	3.5 (38.3)	9.4 (48.9)	14.7 (58.5)	18.6 (65.5)	22.3 (72.1)	23.2 (73.8)	19.3 (66.7)	12.9 (55.2)	6.6 (43.9)	1.3 (34.3)	10.8 (51.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−6.4 (20.5)	−6.1 (21.0)	−2.3 (27.9)	2.7 (36.9)	8.3 (46.9)	13.8 (56.8)	18.1 (64.6)	18.8 (65.8)	14.8 (58.6)	8.0 (46.4)	1.3 (34.3)	−3.5 (25.7)	5.6 (42.1)
Record low °C (°F)	−16.4 (2.5)	−18.8 (−1.8)	−13.1 (8.4)	−7.3 (18.9)	−2.2 (28.0)	2.8 (37.0)	9.9 (49.8)	9.3 (48.7)	1.5 (34.7)	−2.8 (27.0)	−7.7 (18.1)	−14.4 (6.1)	−18.8 (−1.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	63.2 (2.49)	83.2 (3.28)	146.8 (5.78)	157.2 (6.19)	177.0 (6.97)	220.7 (8.69)	289.7 (11.41)	187.8 (7.39)	231.0 (9.09)	183.5 (7.22)	112.7 (4.44)	73.9 (2.91)	1,926.7 (75.85)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	7.2	7.3	10.8	11.3	11.6	13.8	14.9	11.8	12.1	10.5	8.3	8.6	128.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours	141.1	155.2	181.5	198.8	210.0	160.2	166.1	195.1	157.1	158.4	149.9	131.9	2,005.3
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[4][3]

Climate data for Kaida, Kiso (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	11.4 (52.5)	14.5 (58.1)	20.4 (68.7)	26.7 (80.1)	29.6 (85.3)	31.2 (88.2)	32.2 (90.0)	32.2 (90.0)	30.8 (87.4)	24.9 (76.8)	19.3 (66.7)	17.2 (63.0)	32.2 (90.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	0.2 (32.4)	1.5 (34.7)	5.8 (42.4)	12.9 (55.2)	18.8 (65.8)	21.7 (71.1)	25.0 (77.0)	26.3 (79.3)	21.9 (71.4)	16.1 (61.0)	9.9 (49.8)	3.3 (37.9)	13.6 (56.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−4.8 (23.4)	−4.1 (24.6)	−0.2 (31.6)	6.0 (42.8)	11.6 (52.9)	15.5 (59.9)	19.4 (66.9)	20.0 (68.0)	15.9 (60.6)	9.5 (49.1)	3.5 (38.3)	−1.9 (28.6)	7.5 (45.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−10.9 (12.4)	−10.8 (12.6)	−6.3 (20.7)	−0.9 (30.4)	4.3 (39.7)	10.1 (50.2)	14.8 (58.6)	15.2 (59.4)	11.0 (51.8)	3.9 (39.0)	−2.3 (27.9)	−7.2 (19.0)	1.7 (35.1)
Record low °C (°F)	−21.6 (−6.9)	−22.0 (−7.6)	−19.2 (−2.6)	−15.8 (3.6)	−6.4 (20.5)	−0.7 (30.7)	5.1 (41.2)	5.3 (41.5)	−2.2 (28.0)	−7.1 (19.2)	−13.1 (8.4)	−21.0 (−5.8)	−22.0 (−7.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	76.8 (3.02)	94.2 (3.71)	162.2 (6.39)	174.4 (6.87)	202.3 (7.96)	240.5 (9.47)	304.0 (11.97)	199.6 (7.86)	252.6 (9.94)	200.0 (7.87)	126.1 (4.96)	92.9 (3.66)	2,109.9 (83.07)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	127 (50)	115 (45)	91 (36)	14 (5.5)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	6 (2.4)	79 (31)	430 (169)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	11.5	10.4	12.3	11.6	12.1	14.4	15.7	13.1	12.5	11.0	9.1	11.4	145.1
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm)	15.7	13.0	12.1	2.3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.9	10.1	54.1
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[5][6]

History

The area of present-day Kiso was part of ancient Shinano Province.

The modern town was created through a merger of the town of Kiso-Fukushima with the villages of Hiyoshi, Kaida and Mitake on November 1, 2005.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[7] the population of Kiso has quickly fallen over the past 60 years and is now less than half of what it was in 1940.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1940	22,256	—
1950	22,190	−0.3%
1960	22,429	+1.1%
1970	18,868	−15.9%
1980	17,426	−7.6%
1990	15,789	−9.4%
2000	14,866	−5.8%
2010	12,743	−14.3%
2020	10,584	−16.9%

Education

Kiso has four public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the town government, and one high school operated the Nagano Prefectural Board of Education. The prefectural also operates a special education school. The Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University is located in Kiso.

Kurokawa Elementary School opened in 1928 and closed in 1997; in 2022 it became a museum showcasing wooden toys.^[8]

Transportation

Railway

• JR Tōkai – Chūō Main Line
  • Miyanokoshi - Harano - Kiso-Fukushima

Highway

• National Route 19
• National Route 361

Local attractions

• Mount Ontake