270px, Kakunodate is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

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 estimated 915,691 as of 1 August 2023 and its geographi ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 24,045 in 10,398 households, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

of 22 persons per km². The total area of the city is .

Geography

Semboku is located in the mountains of east-central Akita Prefecture, bordering on

Iwate Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture (behind Hokkaido) at , with a population of 1,165,886 (as of July 1, 2023). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Pre ...

and the

Ōu Mountains The are a mountain range in the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan. It 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 region. T ...

on the east. Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan, is located in the center of the city borders. Parts of the city are within the borders of the

Towada-Hachimantai National Park 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 chimantai area includes Mount ...

Neighboring municipalities

Akita Prefecture * Akita * Daisen *

Kazuno is a cities of Japan, city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 28,329 in 12,570 households, and a population density of 40 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kazuno is located in ...

Kitaakita 270px, Lake Shimiko is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 29,201, and a population density of 120 persons per km2. and a population density of 25 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...

Iwate Prefecture * Hachimantai * Nishiwaga *

Shizukuishi is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 16,263 in 6354 households, and a population density of 27 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Shizukuishi is located in the Ōu Mo ...

Climate

Semboku 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 cold ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''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 Semboku 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 Semboku peaked in the early 1960s and has since declined to pre-1920 levels.

History

The area of present-day Semboku was part of ancient

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 per ...

. During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, the area came under the control of the

Satake clan The was a Japanese clan, 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 serv ...

, who had been relocated to

Kubota Domain was a Han (Japan), feudal domain in Edo period Japan, located in Dewa Province (modern-day Akita Prefecture), Japan. It was centered on Kubota Castle in what is now the city of Akita, Akita, Akita and was thus also known as the . It was governe ...

from their former holdings in

Hitachi Province was an old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture.Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa Province, S ...

. After the start of the

Meiji period The was 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 colonizatio ...

, the area became part of Semboku District, Akita Prefecture in 1878. The town of Kakunodate was established on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The city of Semboku was established on March 22, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Kakunodate and Tazawako, and the village of Nishiki (all from Semboku District).

Government

Semboku 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 consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city legislature of 18 members. The city contributes one member to the Akita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Akita 3rd District of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

The economy of Semboku is based on agriculture, forestry and seasonal tourism. The city is a noted producer of

craft beer Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

and

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae''), and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spreads; p ...

. One event that attracts many tourists is the Rokugō Kamakura Festival, which is held each February 11 to 15.

Education

Semboku has seven 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 a special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railway

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...

Akita Shinkansen The is a Mini-shinkansen rail line in Japan. Serving the Kantō and Tōhoku Regions of the country, it links Tokyo and Akita in Akita prefecture. From Tokyo to Morioka in Iwate prefecture, it operates on the Tōhoku Shinkansen tracks. From ...

* –

- Tazawako Line * - - - - Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway - Akita Nairiku Line * - - - - - - Yatsu - - -

Highway

* * *

Local attractions

Bukeyashiki Street in Kakunodate 20180428d.jpg, Buke-yashiki (samurai residences) street, Kakunodate Mount Akita-Komagatake seen from Lake Tazawa 20210213.jpg, Lake Tazawa * Kakunodate samurai residences * Lake Tazawa – the deepest lake in Japan *

Ōfuka Onsen is an onsen (hot spring) in Semboku, Akita, Japan. See also *Onsen In Japan, are hot springs and the bathing facilities and Ryokan (inn), traditional inns around them. There are approximately 25,000 hot spring sources throughout Japan ...

Tamagawa Hot Spring is a hot spring located in the city of Semboku, Akita in northern Japan. Water profile The spring has a flow of 9000 liters/minute and feeds a 3-meter wide stream with a temperature of 98 °C. The water from Tamagawa Hot Spring is extrem ...

has the highest flow rate of any

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

in Japan at 150 liters/second, which feeds a 3 meter wide stream with a temperature of 98 degrees C. The water from Tamagawa Hot Spring is also very acidic. *

International relations

Sister cities

Semboku is twinned with: *

Ōmura, Nagasaki 270px , Ōmura park is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 99,337, and a population density of 780 people per km2. The total area of the city is History Ōmura is located i ...

, Japan, since July 18, 1979 *

Sanuki, Kagawa is a Cities of Japan, city in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 46,016 in 20847 households and a population density of and a population density of 290 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geograph ...

, Japan, since September 28, 1996 *

Shinjō, Yamagata file:Sinzyou castle monato.JPG, Ruins of Shinjō Castle is a Cities of Japan, city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 34,937, and a population density of 160 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 223 ...

, Japan, since July 27, 1996 *

Takahagi, Ibaraki 250px, Hananuki valley 250px, Takado Beach is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 27,522 in 11,651 households and a population density of 140 persons per km2. The percentage of the population ag ...

, Japan, since July 27, 1996 *

Hitachiōta, Ibaraki file:Seizansou1.JPG, 250px, Seizan-so is a Cities of Japan, city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 48,074 in 19,327 households and a population density of 129.2 persons per km2. . The percentage of th ...

, Japan, since November 21, 1998

Noted people from Semboku

Ayako Fuji (real name , née , born May 10, 1961) is a Japanese enka singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Japan. Born in Kakunodate, Akita, Fuji graduated from Akita Prefectural Kakunodate South High School.Norihisa Satake is a Japanese politician. A former two-term mayor of Akita City in Akita Prefecture, first elected in 2001. He was the Governor of Akita Prefecture for four terms between 2009 and 2025. He is the 21st head of the North Satake branch of the Sa ...

, politician *

Shigehiro Taguchi Shigehiro Taguchi (田口成浩, born March 25, 1990), nicknamed Shige, is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He is a native of Akita prefecture and the most popular player in the ...

, basketball player *

Yasuhiko Takahashi Yasuhiko Takahashi (髙橋靖彦, born May 12, 1985) is a Japanese wheel gymnastics acrobat. He has won three world championship titles and seven Japanese championship titles. He also works for the basketball team, Akita Northern Happinets. He ...

, wheel gymnastics acrobat

References

External links

Official Website

{{Authority control Cities in Akita Prefecture