is a city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is in a mountainous area in the south-west corner of the prefecture just north of Gifu Prefecture. It is home to the Gokayama UNESCO World Heritage site. , the city had an estimated population of 51,669 in 17,761 households and a population density of 75.8 persons per km². Its total area is . Geography Nanto is located in the southwestern Toyama Prefecture, and is bordered by Ishikawa Prefecture to the west and Gifu Prefecture to the south. The northern part of the city is within the Tochi plains, and the southern portion of the city is mountainous. Much of the area is a dispersed settlement typical of this region of Japan. The different regions of Nanto consist of Fukuno, Fukumitsu, Johana, Inokuchi, and Inami. Surrounding municipalities Toyama Prefecture Oyabe Tonami Toyama Ishikawa Prefecture Kanazawa Hakusan Gifu Prefecture Hida Shirakawa Climate Nanto has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nanto is 13.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2410 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.0 °C. Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Nanto has declined over the past 60 years. History The area of present-day Nanto was part of ancient Etchū Province. The modern city of Nanto was established on November 1, 2004, from the merger of the towns of Fukuno, Inami and Jōhana, the villages of Inokuchi, Kamitaira, Taira and Toga (all from Higashitonami District), and the town of Fukumitsu (from Nishitonami District). Government Nanto has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 20 members. The current Mayor is Mikio Tanaka who is currently serving his second term after initially being elected on November 16, 2008. Industry Nanto is home to the P.A. Works animation studio, which is responsible for making shows like Canaan, Angel Beats!, Charlotte, and Sakura Quest. Nanto is also the location of the headquarters of KAWADA Technologies Inc. as well as a head office of the Daiken Corporation. Nanto is also well known for the Inami woodcarving town, which is believed to have been practicing the craft since 1390 C.E. Places of Interest/Tourist Locations Gokayama Gokayama is a area in Nanto that