Nanto, Toyama Prefecture, Chūbu Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Nanto is a city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is in a mountainous area in the south-west corner of the prefecture just north of Gifu Prefecture. It is home to the Gokayama UNESCO World Heritage site.

Geography Nanto is located in the south-western Toyama Prefecture, and is bordered by Ishikawa Prefecture to the west and Gifu Prefecture to the south. The northern part of the city is within the Tochi plains, and the southern portion of the city is mountainous. Much of the area is a dispersed settlement typical of this region of Japan. The different regions of Nanto consist of Fukuno, Fukumitsu, Johana, Inokuchi, and Inami.

Surrounding municipalities • Toyama Prefecture ◦ Oyabe; ◦ Tonami; ◦ Toyama; • Ishikawa Prefecture ◦ Kanazawa; ◦ Hakusan; • Gifu Prefecture ◦ Hida; ◦ Shirakawa.

History The area of present-day Nanto was part of ancient Etchū Province.

The modern city of Nanto was established on November 1, 2004, from the merger of the towns of Fukuno, Inami and Jōhana, the villages of Inokuchi, Kamitaira, Taira and Toga (all from Higashitonami District), and the town of Fukumitsu (from Nishitonami District).

Government Nanto has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members.

Economy: Industry Nanto is home to the P.A. Works animation studio, which is responsible for making shows like Canaan, Angel Beats!, Charlotte, and Sakura Quest. Nanto is also the location of the headquarters of KAWADA Technologies Inc. as well as a head office of the Daiken Corporation.[circular reference] Nanto is also well known for the Inami woodcarving town, which is believed to have been practicing the craft since 1390 C.E.[circular reference]

Gokayama Gokayama is a area in Nanto that is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to its traditional gassho built houses, which preserve a traditional architectural style that has a steep steeple shape to cope with the 2 to 3 meters of snow buildup the area gets in the winter. The village holds considerable history with some of the structures being dated back to the Nara Period (710 C.E.). Activities in the area in include participating in weaving and dying fabrics as well as making buckwheat (soba) noodles.

Zentokuji Temple This temple in Johana was founded roughly 530 years ago. It is a major temple of the Otani sect of Pure Land Buddhism and is home to over 10,000 treasured items including a collection of writings from the sect founder Shinran.

Inami Woodcarving Town In this village roughly 200 woodcarving artisans work and carve wooden pieces of art that fill the town. The town has been a centre for the woodcarving industry in Japan for about 250 years. Many of the woodcarvings can be seen walking down Yokamachi Road from Zuisenji Temple. The temple is also known for the wood carvings in the architecture of the building.

IOX-AROSA Located in Fukumitsu, in the summer, one can take a gondola up much of Mt. Iozen from here and get a view of most of Nanto City. In the winter it offers skiing and snowboarding down slopes from high up on the Mountain.

Education Nanto has nine public elementary schools and eight public junior high schools operated by the town government, and three public high schools operated by the Toyama Prefectural Board of Education.

Transport: Rail • West Japan Railway Company (JR West) - Jōhana Line ◦ Takagi - Fukuno - Higashi-Ishiguro - Fukumitsu - Etchū-Yamada - Jōhana

Bus Routes • Kaetsuno Railway Bus Company • Toyama Chihō Railway High Speed Bus

Transport: Road • Tōkai-Hokuriku Expressway • National Route 156 • National Route 304 • National Route 359 • National Route 47.