Hara, Nagano

Hara 原村
Village
Hara Village Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Hara in Nagano Prefecture
Hara
Coordinates: 35°57′51.8″N 138°13′2.6″E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Nagano
District	Suwa
Area
• Total	43.26 km^2 (16.70 sq mi)
Population  (February 2019)
• Total	7,661
• Density	180/km^2 (460/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0266-79-2100
Address	6549-1 Hara-mura, Suwa-gun, Nagano-ken 391-0100
Climate	Dfa
Website	Official website

Hara Village in spring

Hara (原村, Hara-mura) is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2019^[update], the village had an estimated population of 7,661 in 2445 households,^[1] and a population density of 174 persons per km². The total area of the village is 43.26 square kilometres (16.70 sq mi).

Geography

Hara is located in eastern Nagano Prefecture. The village is located in a mountainous area, and includes Mount Yatsugatake partly within its borders.

Surrounding municipalities

• Nagano Prefecture
  • Chino
  • Fujimi

Climate

The village has a humid continental climate characterized by warm and humid summers, and cold winters with heavy snowfall (Köppen climate classification Dfa). The average annual temperature in Hara is 9.5 °C (49.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,271.5 mm (50.06 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.0 °C (71.6 °F), and lowest in January, at around −3.0 °C (26.6 °F).^[2]

Climate data for Hara (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	14.3 (57.7)	17.1 (62.8)	22.2 (72.0)	27.4 (81.3)	30.1 (86.2)	31.2 (88.2)	33.7 (92.7)	33.9 (93.0)	31.9 (89.4)	26.7 (80.1)	22.2 (72.0)	18.3 (64.9)	33.9 (93.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	2.4 (36.3)	3.6 (38.5)	8.3 (46.9)	15.1 (59.2)	20.2 (68.4)	23.1 (73.6)	26.8 (80.2)	28.1 (82.6)	23.4 (74.1)	17.4 (63.3)	11.7 (53.1)	5.6 (42.1)	15.5 (59.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−3.0 (26.6)	−2.2 (28.0)	1.9 (35.4)	8.0 (46.4)	13.5 (56.3)	17.3 (63.1)	21.3 (70.3)	22.0 (71.6)	17.7 (63.9)	11.5 (52.7)	5.5 (41.9)	0.0 (32.0)	9.5 (49.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−8.1 (17.4)	−7.8 (18.0)	−3.8 (25.2)	1.7 (35.1)	7.5 (45.5)	12.7 (54.9)	17.1 (62.8)	17.6 (63.7)	13.5 (56.3)	6.8 (44.2)	0.3 (32.5)	−4.9 (23.2)	4.4 (39.9)
Record low °C (°F)	−16.9 (1.6)	−19.7 (−3.5)	−14.5 (5.9)	−8.7 (16.3)	−2.5 (27.5)	2.4 (36.3)	9.5 (49.1)	9.4 (48.9)	1.2 (34.2)	−4.7 (23.5)	−10.5 (13.1)	−15.1 (4.8)	−19.7 (−3.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	46.6 (1.83)	57.5 (2.26)	100.3 (3.95)	100.4 (3.95)	110.6 (4.35)	151.1 (5.95)	167.9 (6.61)	112.9 (4.44)	168.7 (6.64)	143.6 (5.65)	68.9 (2.71)	43.1 (1.70)	1,271.5 (50.06)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	6.2	6.1	9.7	9.7	10.3	12.7	13.7	10.0	10.7	9.3	7.4	6.1	111.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours	185.2	183.3	190.2	197.2	211.9	164.9	172.9	204.5	156.3	165.0	177.7	179.1	2,188.4
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][2]

History

The area of present-day Hara was part of ancient Shinano Province. The present village of Hara was established on April 1, 1889 by the establishment of the modern municipalities system.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[4] the population of Hara has grown slightly over the past 50 years.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1940	5,913	—
1950	7,269	+22.9%
1960	6,521	−10.3%
1970	5,869	−10.0%
1980	6,125	+4.4%
1990	6,502	+6.2%
2000	7,207	+10.8%
2010	7,575	+5.1%
2020	7,680	+1.4%

Economy

The economy of Hara is based on agriculture.

Education

Hara has one public elementary school and one public junior high school operated by the village government. The village does not have a high school.

Transportation

Railway

• The village has no passenger railway service.

Highway

• Chūō Expressway

International relations

• – Pukekohe, New Zealand,^[5] sister city since May 2, 1974

Local attraction

• Akyū ruins, a National Historic Site
• Yatsugatake Museum of Art

Notable people from Hara

• Risa Itō, manga artist

References

1. Hara Village official statistics(in Japanese)
2. 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
3. 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
4. Hara population statistics
5. "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2015.

External links

• Media related to Hara, Nagano at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Website (in Japanese)