Kitaakita

Kitaakita 北秋田市
City
Kitaakita City Hall Kitaakita City Hall
Flag of Kitaakita Flag Official seal of Kitaakita Seal
Location of Kitaakita in Akita Prefecture Location of Kitaakita in Akita Prefecture
Kitaakita
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Akita Prefecture
Area
• Total	1,152.76 km2 (445.08 sq mi)
Population (September 2015)
• Total	33,064
• Density	28.7/km2 (74/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
• Tree	Beech
• Flower	Hydrangea
• Bird	Black woodpecker
Phone number	0186-62-1111
Address	Hanazono-chō 19-1, Kitaakita-shi, Akita-ken 018-3392
Website	Official website

Kitaakita (北秋田市, Kitaakita-shi) is a city located in Akita Prefecture, in the Tohoku region of northern Japan.

As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 33,054 and a population density of 28.7 persons per km². The total area was 1,152.76 square kilometres (445.08 sq mi).

Geography

Kitaakita is located in the mountains of northeastern Akita Prefecture, with the Ou Mountains on the east. Part of the city is within the borders of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Much of the city area is covered in forest. Due to its inland location, the city is noted for its heavy snowfall in winter.

Neighboring municipalities

• Akita Prefecture
  • Akita
  • Ōdate
  • Noshiro
  • Kazuno
  • Semboku
  • Kamikoani
  • Fujisaki

Climate

Kitaakita has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification 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.

History

The area of present-day Kitaakita was part of ancient Dewa Province. During the Edo period, the area came under the control of the Satake clan, who ruled the northern third of the province from Kubota Domain. After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Kitaakita District, Akita Prefecture in 1878.

The modern city of Kitaakita was established on March 22, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Aikawa, Ani, Moriyoshi and Takanosu (all from Kitaakita District).

Economy

The economy of Kitakita is based on agriculture, forestry and seasonal tourism.

Education

• Akita University – Kitaakira branch campus
• Kitaakita has 11 elementary schools, five middle schools and one high school, as well as one special education school.

Transportation

Airport

• Odate-Noshiro Airport

Railway

• JR East - Ou Main Line
  • Maeyama - Takanosu - Nukazawa
• Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway - Akita Nairiku Line
  • Takanosu - Nishi-Takanosu - Ogata - Ōnodai - Aikawa - Kamisugi - Yonaizawa - Katsurase - Ani-Maeda - Maeda-Minami - Kobuchi - Aniai - Arase - Kayakusa - Okashinai - Iwanome - Hitachinai - Okuani - Ani-Matagi

Highway

• Japan National Route 7
• Japan National Route 105
• Japan National Route 285

Local attractions

• Yasu Falls – one of the Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls
• Isedōtai Site - a Jomon period archaeological site and National Historic Monument

Sister city relations

• Fengcheng, Liaoning, China
• Pulandian, Liaoning, China

Noted people from Akitaakita

• Takekaze Akira – sumo wrestler
• Tamezō Narita – musician
• Daito Takahashi – Olympic ski jumper
• Norihito Kobayashi – Olympic ski jumper
• Yūsuke Minato – Olympic ski jumper
• Fuyuko Suzuki – Olympic Biathlon athlete

External links

• Official website (Japanese)