Ueda City, located in the eastern part of Nagano Prefecture within the Tōshin region, is the central city of the area and ranks third in population in the prefecture after Nagano City and Matsumoto City. As a designated city for international conferences and measurement, Ueda plays a key role not only as a regional administrative and economic hub but also as a promoter of tourism and international exchange.
The current form of Ueda City was established in 2006 through the merger of the former Ueda City with Maruko Town, Sanada Town, and Takeshi Village, resulting in a geographically vast municipal area. The city spreads across the Ueda Basin, divided by the Chikuma River into the old city area on the right bank and the Shioda area on the left bank. The city center lies on a river terrace on the right bank at an elevation of around 450 meters, an area that has served as a political and economic center since the Sengoku period. The construction of Ueda Castle helped establish the area as the castle town of the Sanada clan.
On the left bank of the Chikuma River lies the Shioda area, historically the base of the Shioda-Hōjō clan, a branch of the Hōjō family. Today, it still preserves many medieval cultural heritage sites, such as Anrakuji Temple and Kita-in Kannon, earning it the nickname "Kamakura of Shinshu" due to its rich cultural atmosphere.
Heading north from the urban area leads to Sanada-go, now part of the former Sanada Town, considered the birthplace of the Sanada clan. The area retains many historical sites and folk culture connected to the clan. The broader urban sphere extends its influence to the Saku region, with a potential metropolitan population of around 370,000, depending on the definition.
Geographically, Ueda is located in a wide basin along the Chikuma River. The highlands on the river's right bank house the main city area and fruit orchards, especially known for apple cultivation. The left bank features vast rice paddies and is rich in agricultural resources. The city lies about 40 km east of Nagano City (the prefectural capital) and 190 km from Tokyo, with excellent transportation access. With the development of the Shinkansen and expressway networks, interregional exchange has become increasingly active.
