| Ōkuwa | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | |
| Coordinates: | 35.6828°N 137.665°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) |
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture |
| Subdivision Name2: | Nagano |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Kiso |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Area Total Km2: | 234.47 |
| Population Total: | 3693 |
| Population As Of: | April 2019 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | Japan Standard Time |
| Utc Offset1: | +9 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Symbols |
| Blank Info Sec1: | |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | • Tree |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | Chamaecyparis obtusa |
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | • Flower |
| Blank2 Info Sec1: | Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Phone number |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 0264-55-3080 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Address |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | 2778 Nagano, Ōkuwa-mura, Kiso-gun, Nagano-ken 399-5503 |
is a village located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan., the village had an estimated population of 3,693 in 1558 households,[1] and a population density of 16 persons per km2. The total area of the village is 234.47sqkm.
Ōkuwa is located in the Kiso Mountains of southwest Nagano Prefecture, bordered by the Atera Mountains to the west. The Kiso River flows through the village. Mount Utsugi (2864 meters) and Mount Minamikoma (2841 meters) are on the border of the village.
The town has a climate characterized by characterized by hot and humid summers, and cold winters (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature in Ōkuwa is 12.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1680 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.4 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Ōkuwa has decreased over the past 60 years.
The area of present-day Ōkuwa was part of ancient Shinano Province. The area developed as Suhara-juku and Nojiri-shuku two post stations on the Nakasendō highway connecting Edo with Kyoto during the Edo period. The present village of Ōkuwa was established on April 1, 1889 by the establishment of the modern municipalities system.
Ōkuwa has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the town government. The village does not have a high school.
– Shelbyville, Illinois, USA, sister city