Minamiuonuma

Sister cities

• Yonezawa

History

The area of present-day Minamiuonuma was part of the ancient Echigo Province. The village of Muikamachi was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, and was elevated to "town" status on July 13, 1900. The city of Minamiuonuma was established on November 1, 2004, from the merger of Muikamachi with the neighbouring town of Yamato (both from Minamiuonuma District). On October 1, 2005, the town of Shiozawa (from Minamiuonuma District) was also merged into Minamiuonuma.

Geography

Minamiuonuma is situated in a valley in a mountainous region of Niigata Prefecture, located on Honshu, Japan's largest and most centralised island. Dotted with ski lodges and other winter activity facilities, the city is in a region known as "Snow Country"; indeed, Minamiuonuma sits at an average elevation of around 617 m (2,024 ft) above sea level, creating a wintry climate in the coldest months of the year. The city sits just between Mount Sakado to the southeast, which measures 634 m (2,080 ft) tall, and Masugata Yama, measuring some 747 m (2,450 ft) above sea level, to the northwest. The highest peaks in the area reach well over 1600 m (5,249 ft), and some measure as high as 2000 m (approx. 6,700 ft). Parts of the city are within the borders of the Jōshin'etsu-kōgen National Park; to the north, the city is bounded by Uonuma and the Echigo Sanzan-Tadami Quasi-National Park (and its associated mountains), and to the south by Yuzawa, a popular ski resort town. The Uono River flows through most of the city. The city and its surrounding areas are dotted with many onsen (hot springs) and ski resorts, making it a popular destination in winter. There are also a large number of seasonal paddy fields, as this is part of the major koshihikari rice-growing region in Japan. Other popular seasonal produce is grown, as well, like watermelon. *Gunma Prefecture **Minakami *Niigata Prefecture **Tōkamachi **Uonuma **Yuzawa

Most-observed species

• Motacilla cinerea Tunstall, 1771

  Motacilla cinerea Tunstall, 1771 · Aves
  21
• Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758)

  Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  21
• Hypsipetes amaurotis (Temminck, 1830)

  Hypsipetes amaurotis (Temminck, 1830) · Aves
  19
• Horornis diphone (Kittlitz, 1830)

  Horornis diphone (Kittlitz, 1830) · Aves
  18
• Emberiza cioides J.F.Brandt, 1843

  Emberiza cioides J.F.Brandt, 1843 · Aves
  17
• Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758

  Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  16
• Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  15
• Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler, 1827

  Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler, 1827 · Aves
  14

Most recent

• M 4.9 — 2026-03-15
  1 km SW of Kiryū, Japan
• M 4.8 — 2026-02-13
  1 km NNW of Maki, Japan
• M 4.6 — 2025-10-26
  19 km NNE of Midori, Japan
• M 4.3 — 2025-09-15
  4 km WSW of Yoshida-kasugachō, Japan
• M 4.2 — 2025-06-10
  10 km W of Yanaizu, Japan
• M 4.5 — 2025-03-20
  6 km SSW of Ojiya, Japan