noun
Nagano (city, prefecture)
Refers to the city of Nagano or Nagano Prefecture in central Japan. Context usually makes the distinction clear.
長野は冬に雪がたくさん降ります。
Nagano gets a lot of snow in winter.
長野県のりんごは有名です。
Nagano Prefecture's apples are famous.
Place name; the exact origin is uncertain, but the kanji 長 (long) and 野 (field) are conventionally associated with the area's geography.