is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
located in
Akita Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is approximately 966,000 (as of 1 October 2019) and its ge ...
,
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 ...
. , the city had an estimated
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
of 31,504 in 14,021 households, and a
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
of 27 persons per km². The total area of the city is .
Geography
Kitaakita is located in the mountains of northeastern Akita Prefecture, with the
Ōu Mountains on the east. Part of the city is within the borders of 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 ...
. Much of the city area is covered in forest. Due to its inland location, the city is noted for its
heavy snowfall in winter. It is approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Akita City, the prefectural capital.
Neighboring municipalities
*Akita Prefecture
**
Akita
**
Ōdate
**
Noshiro
270px, Rice fields in the Noshiro Plain
270px, Yoneshiro River
is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 49,935 in 24,200 households.
Geography
Noshiro is located in the flat coastal plains north ...
**
Kazuno
is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 30.715, and a population density of 43 persons per km² in 12.970 households. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Kazuno is located in a valley in t ...
**
Semboku
**
Kamikoani
**
Fujisato
Climate
Kitaakita has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Dfa'') with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Kitaakita is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .
[
]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kitaakita has been decreasing rapidly over the past 60 years.
History
The area of present-day Kitaakita was part of ancient Dewa Province. During the Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, the area came under the control of 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 northern third of the province from Kubota Domain. After the start of the Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
, the area became part of Kitaakita District, Akita Prefecture in 1878 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system.
The city of Kitaakita was established on March 22, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Aikawa, Ani
Ani ( hy, Անի; grc-gre, Ἄνιον, ''Ánion''; la, Abnicum; tr, Ani) is a ruined medieval Armenian city now situated in Turkey's province of Kars, next to the closed border with Armenia.
Between 961 and 1045, it was the capital of th ...
, Moriyoshi and Takanosu (all from Kitaakita District).
Government
Aisai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
city legislature of 20 members. The city contributes two members to the Akita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Akita District 2 of the lower house
A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
of the Diet of Japan
The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...
.
Economy
The economy of Kitaakita is based on agriculture, forestry and seasonal tourism.
Education
* Akita University – Kitaakita branch campus
*Kitaakita has ten public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government and one public high school operated by the Akita Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.
Transportation
Airport
* Odate-Noshiro Airport
Railway
* East Japan Railway Company
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 ...
- Ōu Main Line
** - -
* Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway - Akita Nairiku Line
** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Highway
*
*
*
*
*
Local attractions
*Yasu Falls
is a waterfall in the Ani district of Kitaakita, Akita, Kitaakika, Akita Prefecture, Japan, in on the Yoneshiro River. It is one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls", in a list published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment (Japan), Ministry ...
– one of the Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls
is a list of waterfalls in Japan compiled by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990.
Background
According to the Japanese government, there are 517 named waterfalls in Japan. Many of these waterfalls are located in remote mountain l ...
* Isedōtai Site – a Jōmon period
The is the time in Japanese history, traditionally dated between 6,000–300 BCE, during which Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a c ...
archaeological site and National Historic Monument
File:Tsuzureko odaiko 2019715.jpg, Tsuzureko Traditional Drum Festival held on every July 15
File:Great Drum Museum 2017.jpg, Tsuzureko Traditional Drum Museum
Sister city relations
* Fengcheng, Liaoning, China, friendship city since September 11, 1997
Noted people from Kitaakita
*Takekaze Akira
Takekaze Akira (born June 21, 1979 as Akira Narita) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Akita Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 2002, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division the following year. He ...
, sumo wrestler
*Tamezō Narita
was a Japanese composer.
Narita was born in Yonaizawa, Kitaakita District, Akita.
Works, editions and recordings
Songs
* ''Kanariya'' (かなりや "''Canary''") 1918
* ''Akai Tori Kotori'' (赤い鳥小鳥 "''Red bird, small bird''"); lyrics ...
, musician
* Daito Takahashi, Olympic ski jumper
*Norihito Kobayashi
(born May 4, 1982) is a Japanese Nordic combined skier who has been competing since 2000. He won a gold medal in the 4 x 5 km team event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec and earned his best individual finish of ...
, Olympic ski jumper
* Yūsuke Minato, Olympic ski jumper
*Fuyuko Suzuki
is a Japanese biathlete.
Career
Tachizaki competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics for Japan. Her best performance was 43rd in the sprint. She also finished 53rd in the pursuit and 52nd in the individual. , Olympic Biathlon athlete
References
External links
Official Website
{{Authority control
Cities in Akita Prefecture