Prefectural Song

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Prefectural song "Shinano no Kuni"

It was first decided that Nagano should have a prefectural song in 1947. In commemoration of the enactment of the present constitution, the public was invited to submit entries, but none of the songs submitted became popular and most were forgotten.
The present lyrics of "Shinano no Kuni" were composed in 1899 by Kiyoshi Asai and it was set to music by Sueharu Kitamura in 1900. It was sung at events held by teacher training schools of the time. Students at that time went out to schools all over the prefecture as teachers and taught "Shinano no Kuni" to elementary school children.

The song has been handed down from parents to children and from children to grandchildren, and in effect, it came to be sung as the defacto prefectural song. The prefectural logo and symbols were chosen in 1966, and there was a growing view that "Shinano no Kuni" should be made the official prefectural song to heighten citizens' awareness of the prefecture in which they lived. As a result, it was designated as the prefectural song on May 20, 1968, becoming one of the few prefectural songs that virtually all the citizens can sing.