# Nasu, Tochigi

Nasu (那須町, Nasu-machi) is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2020, the town had an estimated population of 24,851 in 10,400 households, and a population density of 67 persons per km$^2$ (174 per sq. mi.). The total area of the town is 372.34 square kilometres (143.76 sq mi).

## Geography

Nasu is located in the mountainous far northeast of Tochigi Prefecture. The Naka River runs through the southwestern portion of the town and the Kurokawa River through the northeast.

### Surrounding municipalities

Fukushima Prefecture
* Nishigō
* Shirakawa
* Tanagura
Tochigi Prefecture
* Nasushiobara
* Ōtawara

### Climate

Nasu has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nasu is 9.5 °C (49.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,014.7 mm (79.32 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 21.0 °C (69.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around −1.7 °C (28.9 °F).
Climate data for Nasu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.7 (54.9) | 16.8 (62.2) | 21.1 (70.0) | 26.8 (80.2) | 29.6 (85.3) | 30.3 (86.5) | 33.2 (91.8) | 32.2 (90.0) | 29.5 (85.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 20.0 (68.0) | 17.4 (63.3) | 33.2 (91.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) | 2.7 (36.9) | 6.8 (44.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 18.2 (64.8) | 20.7 (69.3) | 24.3 (75.7) | 25.4 (77.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.1 (61.0) | 10.9 (51.6) | 5.1 (41.2) | 13.9 (57.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.7 (28.9) | −1.3 (29.7) | 2.0 (35.6) | 7.8 (46.0) | 13.0 (55.4) | 16.4 (61.5) | 20.2 (68.4) | 21.0 (69.8) | 17.3 (63.1) | 11.8 (53.2) | 6.4 (43.5) | 1.1 (34.0) | 9.5 (49.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.3 (22.5) | −5.3 (22.5) | −2.4 (27.7) | 2.6 (36.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 17.5 (63.5) | 13.8 (56.8) | 7.7 (45.9) | 2.0 (35.6) | −2.6 (27.3) | 5.4 (41.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −11.7 (10.9) | −12.1 (10.2) | −10.4 (13.3) | −6.0 (21.2) | −2.3 (27.9) | 3.6 (38.5) | 8.7 (47.7) | 8.9 (48.0) | 3.2 (37.8) | −1.2 (29.8) | −6.1 (21.0) | −10.2 (13.6) | −12.1 (10.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 52.6 (2.07) | 42.8 (1.69) | 101.6 (4.00) | 139.6 (5.50) | 180.8 (7.12) | 220.5 (8.68) | 305.7 (12.04) | 303.9 (11.96) | 305.3 (12.02) | 212.6 (8.37) | 89.2 (3.51) | 60.1 (2.37) | 2,014.7 (79.32) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 103 (41) | 79 (31) | 45 (18) | 7 (2.8) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 4 (1.6) | 55 (22) | 296 (117) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.1 | 8.3 | 10.4 | 11.3 | 12.1 | 15.9 | 18.3 | 17.0 | 14.8 | 11.5 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 146.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) | 11.5 | 8.8 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 5.9 | 32.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 131.0 | 129.0 | 156.4 | 170.4 | 169.1 | 108.8 | 98.7 | 115.3 | 98.9 | 115.1 | 130.1 | 132.6 | 1,555.2 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 3.8 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Source 1: 理科年表 ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Japan Meteorological Agency (Averages: 1991-2020; Max-Min: 1977–present) ||||||||||||||

### Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nasu has declined slowly over the past 70 years, with a small uptick around the year 2000.

## History

Nasu and Iouno villages and Ashino Town were created within Nasu District on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. The three municipalities merged to form Nasu Town on November 3, 1954.
Nasu Imperial Villa was built in 1926.
In March 2017 an avalanche killed 8 people.

## Government

Nasu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 13 members. Nasu, together with the city of Nasushiobara collectively contributes four members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

## Economy

The economy of Nasu is heavily dependent on tourism from its numerous hot spring and ski resorts.

## Education

Nasu has six public primary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government. The town has one public high school operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private school including junior and high school.

## Transportation
### Railway

JR East – Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)
* Takaku - Kurodahara - Toyohara

### Highway

* Tōhoku Expressway – Nasu Interchange, Nasu Kogen Service Area and Smart Interchange
* National Route 4
* National Route 294

## Local attractions

* Ashio Onsen
* Cannabis Museum
* Mount Jeans Nasu Ski Resort, a ski resort to the far north of Nasu
* Mount Nasu
* Nasu Animal Kingdom
* Nasu Highland (那須高原, Nasu kōgen)
* Nasu History Museum (Designed by Kengo Kuma)
* Nasu Imperial Villa
* Nasu Onsen, the collective name given to the various hot springs in the Nasu area surrounding Mt. Chausu. The eight hot springs in this area with accommodation and bathing facilities are sometimes referred to as Nasu Hachiyu (那須八湯) (Shika no yu (鹿の湯), sandogoya onsen (三斗小屋温泉), ōmaru onsen (大丸温泉), kita onsen (北温泉), benten onsen (弁天温泉), takao onsen (高雄温泉), yahata onsen (八幡温泉), shin nasu onsen (新那須温泉))
* Nasu Rindō-ko Lake View (那須りんどう湖レイクビュー, Nasu rindō-ko reiku byū), an amusement facility based around the rindō lake, with activities such as a zip-line, boat ride, go-karts, and more.
* Sessho-seki
* STONE PLAZA (Designed by Kengo Kuma)