Chikuhoku, village in Higashichikuma district, Nagano prefecture, Japan
Chikuhoku is a small village in the Higashichikuma District of Nagano Prefecture in Japan. It sits in a broad basin surrounded by gentle hills and distant mountains, with quiet streets, traditional houses, and fields used for rice and vegetable farming.
The area was part of Shinano Province in ancient times and controlled by the Matsumoto Domain during the Edo period, with people living mainly from farming and fishing in local streams. Several original villages such as Honjō, Sakakita, and Sakai merged in 2005 to form present-day Chikuhoku.
The name Chikuhoku comes from the merger of several smaller villages in 2005. Daily life is shaped by agricultural rhythms, and you can see small shrines and stone statues throughout the area where residents honor their ancestors and observe traditional festivals at different times of the year.
The village is accessible by road and the Shinano Railway line, which has several local stations connecting you to nearby larger towns. Explore the quiet streets on foot, as there are few cars and the slow pace gives you time to observe daily life.
Two dams, the Higashijo Dam and Onikuma Dam, shape the landscape and manage water for farming and flood control. These structures quietly exist in the countryside, giving the area a sense of stability and historical planning.
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