is a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

located in the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (''ken''): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a ...

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is approximately 966,000 (as of 1 October 2019) and its geographic area is 11,637 km² (4,493

sq mi The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is an are ...

). Akita Prefecture is bordered by

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, ...

to the north,

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...

to the east,

Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

to the southeast, and

Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Yamagata Prefecture has a population of 1,079,950 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 9,325 km² (3,600 sq mi). Yamagata Prefecture borders Akita Prefecture to the north, ...

to the south.

Akita is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto ...

is the capital and largest city of Akita Prefecture. Other major cities include

Yokote is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 89,574 in 34,240 households, and a population density of 130 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Yokote is located in southeast c ...

, Daisen, and

Yurihonjō is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 76,077 in 30,639 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Yurihonjō is located in southwest corner of Akita Pr ...

. Akita Prefecture is located on the coast of the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

and extends east to the

Ōu Mountains The are a mountain range in the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan. The range is the longest range in Japan and stretches south from the Natsudomari Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture to the Nasu volcanoes at the northern boundary of the Kantō re ...

, the longest

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

in Japan, at the border with Iwate Prefecture. Akita Prefecture formed the northern half of the historic

Dewa Province was a province of Japan comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. Dewa bordered on Mutsu and Echigō Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . History Early peri ...

with Yamagata Prefecture.

History

The region of Akita was created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu. Separated from the principal Japanese centres of commerce, politics, and population by several hundred kilometres and by the Ōu and Dewa mountain ranges to the east, Akita remained largely isolated from Japanese society until after the year 600. Akita was a region of hunter-gatherers and principally nomadic tribes. The first historical record of what is now Akita Prefecture dates to 658, when

Abe no Hirafu was a Japanese military strategist and commander of the Asuka period. Some sources say he lived from c.575-664 Biography Events in his life are accounted in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, both written several decades after his death. His father ...

conquered the native

Ezo (also spelled Yezo or Yeso) is the Japanese term historically used to refer to the lands to the north of the Japanese island of Honshu. It included the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which changed its name from "Ezo" to "Hokkaidō" in 18 ...

tribes at what are now the cities of Akita and Noshiro. Abe, then governor of

Koshi Province was an ancient province or region of Japan in what is now the Hokuriku region. The region as a whole was sometimes referred to as . Koshi appears as one of the original provinces in the '' Nihon Shoki''. In 598 AD, the residents of Koshi prese ...

(the northwestern part of Honshū bordering the

), established a fort on the

Mogami River The is a river in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Description and history It is 224 km long and has a watershed of 7,040 km2. It is regarded as one of the three most rapid rivers of Japan (along with the Fuji River and the Kuma River). ...

, and thus began the Japanese settlement of the region. In 733, a new military settlement (later renamed

Akita Castle refers to the ruins of a Nara period fortified settlement located in what is now the city Akita, Akita, Akita, Akita Prefecture, Japan. It is also sometimes referred to as “Fort Akita”. The name is sometimes used wrongly for Kubota Castle, an ...

) was built in what is now the Takashimizu area of Akita, and more permanent roads and structures were developed. The region was used as a base of operations for the Japanese empire as it drove the native Ezo people from northern Honshū. Governance of the region shifted hands several times. During the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

it was appropriated to the

Satake clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. Its first power base was in Hitachi Province. The clan was subdued by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the late 12th century, but later entered Yoritomo's service as vassals ...

, who ruled the region for 260 years and developed the agriculture and mining industries that are still predominant today. Throughout this period, it was classified as part of

. In 1871, during the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, Dewa Province was reshaped and the old daimyō domains were abolished and administratively reconstructed, resulting in the modern-day borders of Akita. The famous

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...

poet,

Ono no Komachi was a Japanese waka poet, one of the '' Rokkasen'' — the six best waka poets of the early Heian period. She was renowned for her unusual beauty, and ''Komachi'' is today a synonym for feminine beauty in Japan. She also counts among the ...

, is said to have been born in Yuzawa City, Ogachi Town, located in the southeast of the prefecture.

Geography

View of Akita city from Kubota Castle 01

View of Yokote City from Akita Museum of Modern Art

Located on the north-western side of Honshu, Akita Prefecture is adjacent to the

to the west and borders four other prefectures:

Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of ...

in the north, Iwate in the east,

Miyagi Miyagi may refer to: Places * Miyagi Prefecture, one of the 47 major divisions of Japan * Miyagi, Gunma, a village in Japan, merged into Maebashi in 2004 *Miyagi District, Miyagi, a district in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan Other uses * Miyagi (surna ...

in the southeast, and Yamagata in the south. The borders of Akita Prefecture roughly form a rectangle that is 169 kilometres (105 miles) from north to south and 86 kilometres (54 miles) from west to east. The

Oga Peninsula The Oga Peninsula (男鹿半島 ''Oga-hantō'') is a rugged peninsula which projects west into the Sea of Japan from the coast of Akita in northern Honshū, the main island of Japan. Politically it coincides with the city of Oga. At the base ...

is a prominent feature of the western edge, while the

mark the eastern border and the higher

Dewa Mountains Dewa Mountains () is a mountain range that runs north and south on the west side of the Tohoku region of Japan. The mountain range spans Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata prefectures. The highest peak of the mountain range is Mount Chokai (2,236m). T ...

run parallel through the center. Like much of northern Japan, the prefecture has cold winters, particularly in areas farther from the sea. As of 31 March 2019, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture is designated as Natural Parks, namely the

Towada-Hachimantai National Park is a national park comprising two separate areas of Aomori, Iwate, and Akita Prefectures, Japan. The Towada-Hakkōda area encompasses Lake Towada, Mount Hakkōda, and most of the Oirase River valley. The Hachimantai area includes Mount Hachim ...

; Chōkai, Kurikoma, and

Oga Oga or OGA may refer to: Places * Oga, Akita, Tōhoku, Japan * Oga Peninsula, Japan * Oga, a ''frazione'' of Valdisotto, Italy People * Oga Atsushi, a Japanese sumo wrestler * My Oga at the top, Nigerian Pidgin English term for "boss" or "lea ...

Quasi-National Parks; and Akita Shirakami, Hachimori Iwadate, Kimimachizaka, Magi Mahiru, Moriyoshizan, Taiheizan, Tashirodake, and Tazawako Dakigaeri Prefectural Natural Parks.

Cities

Thirteen cities are located in Akita Prefecture:

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Mergers

List of governors of Akita Prefecture (from 1947)

Economy and population

Like much of the

Tōhoku Region The , Northeast region, or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (''ken''): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a ...

, Akita's economy remains dominated by traditional industries such as agriculture, fishing, and forestry. This has led many young people to migrate to Tokyo and other large cities. Akita Prefecture has seen some of the most severe population decline in Japan: it is one of four prefectures in Japan registering declines in population since 1955. Its population also has the lowest percentage of children, at 11.2%. As of October 1, 2019, it has a population of approximately 966,000 people. The high rate of depopulation in Akita Prefecture has led smaller communities to merge with each other, which has affected the smallest of these merged communities. As depopulation in these communities continues, educational and health facilities have closed in some areas, encouraging families to migrate to larger cities for better access to health and educational opportunities and perpetuating the decline in population. This decline, combined with an aging population, has been concerning for rural communities.

Culture

Akita, 秋田, meaning autumn rice paddy, is famous for rice farming and its

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

breweries. It is well known for having the highest consumption of

in Japan and is thought to be the origin of the

breed of dog which carries the prefecture's name. The women of the region, referred to as , have also gained widespread renown for their white skin, rounded faces and high voices, all of which are considered highly desirable.

is a famous example of an ''Akita bijin''.

Food

Akita is known for the following regional specialties ( tokusanhin): *

Kiritanpo is a Japanese dish particularly in Akita Prefecture. Freshly cooked rice is pounded until somewhat mashed, then formed into cylinders around Japanese cedar skewers, and toasted over an open hearth. It can then be served with sweet miso or cooke ...

Nabe ''Nabemono'' (鍋物, なべ物, ''nabe'' "cooking pot" + ''mono'' "thing"), or simply ''nabe'', is a variety of Japanese hot pot dishes, also known as one pot dishes and "things in a pot". Description Nabemono are stews and soups containin ...

* Gakko * Rice – Akita komachi *

Sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

Sports

Akita Northern Happinets The Akita Northern Happinets are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Akita that competes in the Eastern Conference of the First Division of the B.League. The team was formed as an expansion team of the bj league in 2010 and found succ ...

, men's basketball team. * Akita Bank Red Arrows, women's basketball team. *

Prestige International Aranmare Akita The Prestige International Aranmare Akita are a women's basketball team based in Akita, Akita that will play in the Women's Japan Basketball League. Aranmare also has a volleyball team in Sakata, Shonai, and a handball team in Imizu, Toyama. ...

, women's basketball team. * Akita Northern Bullets, rugby union team. * Blaublitz Akita, association football team.

Tourism

Recently there have been efforts to revitalize rural communities facing depopulation with different forms of green tourism and agritourism. These efforts are primarily aimed at attracting urbanites and foreign tourists to Akita Prefecture, advertising its pristine forests, sprawling rice fields, and range of cultures. There has been a push for home stays, farmers markets for locally produced foods, and the integration of outsiders into local cultural practices. The

Namahage The are demonlike beings portrayed by men wearing hefty '' oni'' (ogre) masks and traditional straw capes ('' mino'') during a New Year's ritual, in local northern Japanese folklore of the Oga Peninsula area of Akita Prefecture. General descri ...

ritual in

on New Year's Eve draws a large number of tourists to Akita Prefecture every year. Near

Lake Tazawa is a caldera lake in the city of Semboku, Akita Prefecture, northern Japan. It is the deepest lake in Japan at . The area is a popular vacation area and several hot spring resorts can be found in the hills above the lake. Akita Prefecture ...

, there are a number of hot springs resorts (''

onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

''). These are popular with tourists from all over Japan. In addition, numerous seasonal festivals (''

matsuri Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time to have little resemblance ...

'') offer a glimpse of rural or traditional Japan. Some famous examples are the Akita Kantō, the Omagari Fireworks,

Festival, and the

Kamakura Festivals. Kakunodate, known as the little

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

, features many preserved samurai houses. The Aoyagi house is the former residence of Odano Naotake, who illustrated Japan's first modern guide to human anatomy. The house is now a museum and gallery of medical illustrations and traditional crafts. Starting in 2009, Akita began experiencing a huge surge in

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

tourism after the airing of the popular drama ''Iris'', which featured several scenes shot in Akita, most notably at Lake Tazawa and Oga's GAO Aquarium.

Famous festival and events

* Kariwano Big Tug Festival, Daisen (February) * Amekko Festival, Odate (February) * Kamakura Snow Statue Event, Yokote (February) * Tsuchizaki Shinmei Festival, Akita (July) * Akita Kanto Festival, Akita (August) * Nishimonai Bon Dancing Festival, Ugo (August) * Kemanai Bon Dancing Festival, Daisen (August) * All Japan Firework Competition, Daisen (August) * Kakunodate Festival, Semboku (September)

Transportation

Railroads

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

** Akita Shinkansen **

Gono Line Gono may refer to: People * Akihiro Gono (born 1974), Japanese mixed martial artist * Gideon Gono (born 1959), Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe * Matt Gono (born 1996), American American football player * Miroslav Gono (born 2000), Slovak ...

Hanawa Line The is a railway line in Japan linking Kōma Station in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture and Ōdate Station in Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, Japan. The line extends 106.9 km (66.4 mi) with a total of 27 stations. Also known as the , the Hanawa Lin ...

** Kitakami Line **

Ōu Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Fukushima Station through Akita Station to Aomori Station. Since the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen on July 1, 1992, the Fukushima–Yamag ...

Uetsu Main Line The is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient ...

Oga Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Oiwake Station (Akita), Oiwake Station in Akita, Akita, Akita, Akita Prefecture to Oga Station in Oga, Akita, Oga, Akita Prefecture. It is nicknamed th ...

Tazawako Line The is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) connecting Morioka Station in Morioka, Iwate and Ōmagari Station in Daisen, Akita, Japan. Akita Shinkansen '' Komachi'' trains travel over the line, which was regauge ...

* Akita Trans Inland Railway (Akita Nairiku Jyukan Railway) **

Akita Nairiku Line The is a Japanese railway line located in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan. It operates between in the city of Kitaakita, Akita, Kitaakita and in the city of Senboku, Akita, Senboku. The Akita Nariku Line is the only railway line operated b ...

* Yuri Plateau Railway (Yuri Kogen Railway)

Roads

Expressways

Akita Expressway The is a national Expressways of Japan, expressway in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The expressway begins at an interchange with the Tōhoku Expressway in Kitakami, Iwate from where it proceeds northwest towards the capital of Akita Prefecture, ...

* Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway * Tohoku Expressway * Yuzawa-Yokote Road

National highways

* Route 7 (-Nikaho-Yurihonjō-Akita-Katagami-Ikawa-Gojōme-Hachirōgata-Mitane-Noshiro-Kitaakita-Ōdate-) * Route 13 (-Yuzawa-Yokote-Misato-Daisen-Akita) * Route 46 (-Semboku-Daisen-Akita) * Route 101 (-Happō-Noshiro-Mitane-Oga-Katagami-Akita) * Route 103 (-Kosaka-Kazuno-Ōdate) * Route 104 (-Kazuno-Ōdate) * Route 105 (Yurihonjō-Daisen-Semboku-Kitaakita) * Route 107 (-Yokote-Yurihonjō) * Route 108 (-Yuzawa-Yurihonjō) * Route 282 (-Kazuno-Kosaka-) * Route 341 (Kazuno-Semboku-Daisen-Akita-Yurihonjō) * Route 342 (Yokote-Higashinaruse-) * Route 397 (-Higashinaruse-Yokote) * Route 398 (-Yuzawa-Ugo-Yurihonjō) * Route 454 (-Kazuno-''

Towada, Aomori is a Cities of Japan, city in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 60,697, and a population density of 84 persons per km2 in 27,677 households. The total area of the city is . Geography Towada is in the foothills o ...

''-Kosaka-)

Airports

Akita Airport is a regional/second class airport located southeast of Akita StationAIS Japan
in the city of

Odate-Noshiro Airport

Education

Universities in Akita Prefecture

Akita International University , or AIU, is a public university located in Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Established in 2004 and modeled on American liberal arts colleges, AIU is one of the few universities in Japan offering all of its courses in English. It has curre ...

* Akita Prefectural University *

Akita University is a Japanese national university in Akita City, Japan. Established in 1949, it comprises four graduate schools and four undergraduate faculties. History Akita University was established in 1949 by the merger of Akita Normal School (established ...

Akita University of Nursing and Welfare is a private university in Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the ...

North Asia University is a private university located in the city of Akita, Japan. History The school opened as Akita Keizai University in 1964. It changed its name to Akita Keizaihoka University in 1983. The present name was adopted in 2007. Organization *Departm ...

Media

Television

* NHK Akita Broadcasting (NHK) *

Akita Asahi Broadcasting , also known as AAB, is a Japanese broadcast network affiliated with the ANN. Their headquarters are located in Akita Prefecture. Headquarters *233-209 Kawajiri-machi aza Okobata Akita-city, Akita 010-0941 JAPAN History *1992 October 1: It was ...

(AAB) *

Akita Broadcasting System Akita Broadcasting System, Inc. (ABS, 株式会社秋田放送) is a Japanese broadcaster in Akita Prefecture. Its radio station is affiliated with Japan Radio Network (JRN) and National Radio Network (NRN), and its TV station is affiliated w ...

(ABS) *

Akita Television is a TV station affiliated with Fuji News Network (FNN) and Fuji Network System (FNS) in Akita, Akita, Japan. History In 1967, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (currently the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) annou ...

(AKT)

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

.
OCLC 58053128

External links

Akita Prefecture Official Website
{{Coord, 39, 43, 7, N, 140, 6, 9, E, type:adm1st_region:JP-05, display=title Tōhoku region Prefectures of Japan