Iida, Nagano

Iida (飯田市; -shi, pronounced "ee-dah')) is a city located in Nagano, Japan.

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 107,011, with a density of 328.91 persons per km² and a total area 325.35 km². Located on the Iida Line, an old local train line that runs through the valley of the Tenryu River in the southern Japan Alps, Iida lies 90 minutes northeast of the major city of Nagoya by automobile via the Chuo Expressway. The same expressway also provides access to Tokyo, about four hours to the east.

An old castle town of strategic importance in the Edo Period, Iida suffered considerable damage during World War II when the central part of the city was destroyed by fires. Established as a city on April 1, 1937, Iida is now known for its streets lined with apple trees, which were part of a post-War revitalization project by its citizens. For more than 25 years the city of Iida has also hosted the annual Iida Puppetry Festival, a major international event that is the largest in Japan with over 150 troupes from all over Japan and abroad participating in the annual four-day festival in early August. Iida's connection to the traditional Japanese puppet theater commonly known as Bunraku goes back more than 300 years. Four traditional puppet troupes call Iida home, including the Imada Puppet Troupe and the Kuroda Puppet Troupe.

External link

• Official website in Japanese