Saku, Agricultural city in Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Saku is a municipality in Nagano Prefecture that spreads across the Saku Basin along the upper Shinano River. The territory includes several formerly independent towns that now form a continuous administrative area.
The region was controlled by the Ochiai clan in the 16th century, who remained loyal to the Uesugi clan during the warring period. Several smaller towns merged into one municipality in the early 21st century.
The name comes from the Saku Basin, a fertile valley enclosed by mountains where rice paddies and orchards shape the landscape. Visitors find small roadside stands selling fresh fruit and local vegetables.
Sakudaira Station sits on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line and links the area to Tokyo in roughly one and a half hours. Smaller neighborhoods connect through local bus routes that run between villages during the day.
This spot marks the point on Honshu that lies farthest from the sea. Anyone standing here occupies the place with the longest distance to any coast of the island.
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