Iida City is located in the southern part of Nagano Prefecture and is the southernmost city in Shinshu. It once flourished as the castle town of the Iida Domain and is now thriving as a town of apple trees and puppet theaters. The area, which retains the atmosphere of a castle town and many traditional performing arts, is also known as the Little Kyoto of Southern Shinshu. As an environmentally cultural city, Iida is actively adopting solar power generation. It boasts the warmest climate in Nagano Prefecture and is characterized by long hours of sunshine. In recent years, the city has been focusing on bicycle road races, hosting many competitions. Local specialties include otaguri (grilled squid), Tenryukyo yaki (pottery), black tea, and gohei mochi (rice cakes with gohei mochi). A major tourist attraction is Ohira-juku, a former post town.