Nozawa Onsen, in Nagano prefecture, is one of the oldest and most popular hot springs in Japan.

CNN: ASIANOW - Travel Watch | Offbeat Onsen Offer Tradition with a Twist

Though Yasuo Tanaka, the controversial governor of Nagano prefecture, broke from tradition by opening up press events to all journalists and the public after his election in 2001, few others have followed suit.

ECONOMIST: Why the press-club system should be abolished

He hails from Nagano prefecture.

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To see the potential for disappointment, one need only look at the neighbouring prefecture of Nagano, which hosted the winter Olympics in 1998.

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The Japanese media have drawn attention to a quake of magnitude 6.6 on the far side of the country, between Nagano and Niigata prefectures, and to a quake of magnitude 6.1 in Shizuoka prefecture, both within days of the main quake.

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