Central Highland (Japan)

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The Central Highland (中央高地, Chūō Kōchi^?) or Koshin Region (甲信地方, Kōshin Chihō^?) is a region of Japan, located inland in central Honshū.

It comprises most of Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures, as well as the Hida and Tōnō areas of Gifu Prefecture.

The typical inland climate gives large temperature differences between summers and winters, and between days and nights. Precipitation is light throughout the year.

In the Edo period, the Nakasendō and Kōshū Kaidō ran through the Central Highland.

History of Gifu City The name Gifu was given in the Warring States Period by Oda Nobunaga, a leading feudal lord of the 16th Century. He renamed what was previously called Inokuchi Village in Mino Province after a legendary mountain, Qishan (岐山), from which most of ancient China was unified. Though Nobunaga was originally from the neighboring province that is now Aichi Prefecture, he lived in Gifu Castle atop Mt. Kinka for nine years, using it as his base to unify Japan.

A major industrial center during World War II, including a downtown factory that made parts for aircraft engines, Gifu was a target of heavy firebombing by the United States Air Force, culminating in the Gifu Air Raid of July 9, 1945 in which most of the city center was destroyed and 900 people were killed. The city has since greatly recovered and the area, along with much of central Japan, is a major manufacturing and industrial region once again.

History of Nagano City The city is located within Minuchi(水内郡), Takai(高井), Sarashina(更級郡), and Hanishina(埴科郡) Districts in the ancient Shinano Province. Zenko-ji relocated from the current city of Iida. (642). Afterwards, the town of Monzen becomes one of the motel towns of Hokkoku Kaido(北国街道). The Battles of Kawanakajima were held, where Shigen Takeda(武田信玄) and Kenshin Uesugi (上杉謙信) fought. Inu-no-Mansui (戌の満水 or 千曲川大洪水) (1742), the water level reached at 6.4m(21ft) at Akanuma (near the border with the former town Toyono) Due to Zenko-ji Earthquake (May 8, 1847), nearly 10,000 people died (including the other disaters in Iiyama) Gained city status (1897) Matsushiro (松代大本営) was built (Started in 1944, but cancelled in 1945 due to the end of war) Biggest mergers of the Showa Era I (1954) Due to the flooding of Chikuma River (1959), 71 people are dead or missing and 20,000 homes were flooded Biggest mergers of the Showa Era II(1966) Matsushiro Earthquake (松代群発地震) Due to Landslides (地附山地すべり災害)（1985), 26 people died and 60 homes were destroyed or near-destroyed Hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics and the 1998 Winter Paralympics(1998) Became a Core city(1999) Due to the Biggest Mergers in Heisei Era, the city absorbed the municipalities of the town of Toyono, and the village of Togakushi, and Kinasa Kamiminochi District, and the village of Ooka and Sarashina District . Hosted the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games.