Saito, Miyazaki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Saito City**
**西都市**
Saito City's location in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Miyazaki Prefecture
Physical characteristics
Area	438.56 km²
Population (as of 2003)
Total	34,673
Density	79.07/km²
Symbols
Tree	Myrica rubra (ヤマモモ) Japanese Bayberry
Flower	Azalea (ミツバツツジ)
Bird	Cettia diphone (ウグイス)
Symbol of Saito City
Saito City City Hall
Mayor	Hashida Kazumi
Address	〒881-8501 2-1 Seriyo-cho, Saito-shi, Miyazaki-ken
Phone number	+81983-43-1111
Official website: [1]

Saito (西都市, Saito-shi^?) is a city located in Miyazaki, Japan.

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 34,676 and the density of 79.07 persons per km². The total area is 438.56 km².

1 Geography
2 History
3 Mythology
4 Festivals and Traditions
5 Places of Interest
6 Local Schools
7 External links
8 References

[edit] Geography

Saito-shi is the 5th largest city in the Miyazaki prefecture, seven tenths of the Saito-shi is mountainous and a river cuts through the city from north-west to south east、many other smaller streams cut through the valleys in Saito.

Mountain: Higuchi Yama (樋口山), Soubugaku (掃部岳)
Rivers: Ichisuse Kawa (ja : 一ツ瀬川), Sakura Kawa (ja : 桜川)
Lakes and Marshes: Komeryoujinzouko (米良人造湖), Chigokeike (稚児ケ池)
Damns:Ichisuse Damn（一ツ瀬ダム）

[edit] History

Year	Month Day	Event
1924	April 1	Koyugunshimohokita Village (児湯郡下穂北 ) became Shimohokita（下穂北) Town.
1924	August 1	Koyugunshimohokita Town became Tsuma Town
1952	March 29	Saitobaru Burial Mounds appointed a special historical place
1953	July 22	The Hibi (日肥) line (Hitoyoshi – Tsuma National Railway bus) opened to traffic。
1958	April 1	Koyogun—Saito Town, Sanzai Village and Tonokori Village were abolished and replaced by Saito Town。
1958	September 1	Saitobaru and Sugiyasu gorge were appointed as prefectural parks
1958	November 1	Koyugun—Saito Town became Saito City (And the city was founded).
1962	April 1	Saito City,　Sanzai Village and Higashinishimera village amalgamated .
1963	January 24	A large fire on Heisuke (平助通) Street damages 100 houses, injures 418 and kills 4 people.
1963	June 4	Kyushu Electric Company’s Hitotsuse plant completed.
1964	October 27	The Shimozuruusu Taiko Dance appeared in a folk art public performance at the Tokyo Olympics.
1966	November 17	The Fuudoki Hill (風土記の丘) Project began, a project to turn the Saitobaru Burial Mounds into a public park.
1971	October 8	The Shimozuruusu Taiko dance was appointed a national cultural asset
1979	October 16	The Emperor visited Saitobaru
1981	March 10	Ohae kagura was appointed a prefectural cultural asset
1984	November 30	National Railway’s Tsuma line closes after 70 years in service, leaving neighbouring town Sadowara to the west as the closest station on the JR Railway.
1988	July 1	Sugiyasu River Nakashima Park Opened
1994	November 28	Mokuzo Yamaji Bishamonten appointed as a prefectural cultural asset
1995	May 29	Construction began on the Saito-Kiyotake link of the Eastern Kyushu Motorway
1995	June	Saitobaru burial mounds selected to be part of a national large scale project to preserve remains
1996	November 1	木喰上人造仏五体 appointed a prefectural cultural asset.
1998	October 1	Ceremony to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the city.
1998	October 12	Maintenance of the Saitobaru Burial mounds and surrounding area selected as part of the Ministry of Home Affairs Reading Project.
2000	September 6	The ruins of Tonokori Castle were appointed as a National Historical place.
2004	April 25	55th National Tree Planting ceremony held in Saito city.
2006	November	20th Saitobaru Kofun Festival takes place.

Translated from the Saito Homepage^[1]

[edit] Mythology

Main article: Kojiki

The kojiki is an ancient manuscript which tells many creation and origin stories which attribute to different traditions and in Saito.

The myth of the all night Kagura dance in Shiromi goes thus: When Amatsuhiko-Hiko-Hononinigi-no-Mikoto (Hononinigi) descended from heaven onto the peak of Mt. Takachiho in a place called Himuka of Tsukushi, with him came many servants and gifts received from the sun god Amaterasu, among the gifts were a sickle, a sword and a mirror.

When he met Konohana-no-Sakuya-Bime (Tree-Blossom-Blooming-Princess), a beautiful princess he asked her father for her hand in marriage and her father agreed sending with her many gifts and her sister Ihanaga-Hime (Eternal-Rock-Princess), Ihanaga-Hime's father wanted to endow Hononinigi's children with long life like that of a rock.

However Hononinigi found Ihanaga-Hime so ugly he sent her back to her father and then proceeded to consummate his marriage with Konohana-no-Sakuya-Bime, this was the first marriage between a diety of earth with one of heaven. On returning home Ihanaga-Hime bemoaning her misfortune threw away a mirror reflecting her own image in its glass, the mirror fell in Shiromi. So the Shiromi shrine is dedicated to Ihanaga-Hime.^[2]^[3]

[edit] Festivals and Traditions

Saito City Flower Festival

Date: 31st of March ~ 8th of April
Time: 10am - 10pm
Location: Saitobaru

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

[edit] Places of Interest

There are many places of interest in Saito. These include shrines, temples, museums and buildings of architectural or historical interest. Saito is perhaps most famous for Saitobaru which is a National Special Historic site and historical research site. Other notable places include Saito's Sports Center, Concert Hall and Irifune Eel Restaurant.

Saitobaru

Saitobaru is a collection of 9 clusters of tumuli comprising 311 burial mounds which lay on a plateau roughly 4 by 2 km in size, making it one of the largest collections of burial mounds in Japan. It was designated a Special Historic site by the Japanese government in 1952.

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

Tsuma Temple

Yamajibishamonten

Tonokori Castle Ruins

Sugiyasu