Tenryu（天龍村）

Tenryu（天龍）: Litterally, Ten (天）means heaven and Ryu（龍）means dragon.
In central Japan, there’s a long and rapid river named Tenryu .
As for the name origin of Tenryu river, there are many theories, but the most supported one is that rain falling from the heavens flows into Lake Suwa which is dedicated to a Dragon deity and becomes the Tenryu River. The theory that the water of the Tenryu River flows so fast that it looks like a dragon rising into the heavens is also popular.

As its name shows, the Tentyu river runs through the right middle of Tenryu village.
Located at the southernmost tip of Nagano Prefecture, Tenryu village is the warmest place in the prefecture and is the first place for plum and cherry blossoms to bloom, leading to its catchphrase, “The village that heralds spring in Nagano”.
Without any convenience stores or traffic lights, villagers could enjoy warm and friendly interactions with each other.
With the third highest aging rate in Japan, villagers could live happy and healthy lives and their community is growing slowly but steadily.
In this cultural environment, villagers, especially those who have moved from other regions, are actively promoting the charm of this village including special activities, such as Yuzu cooking (Yubeshi) and Tea picking.