Tsuruta, Aomori

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the town in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. There is another town with the same Japanese name in Kagoshima Prefecture, see Tsuruda, Kagoshima.

Tsuruta (鶴田町, Tsuruta-machi^?) is a town located in Kitatsugaru District, Aomori, Japan.

As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 15,404 and a density of 332.13 persons per km². The total area is 46.38 km².

Tsuruta, Japan, is located in Aomori Prefecture, the second poorest prefecture in Japan. Tsuruta Town Office, approximately in the center of town, is 25 kilometers from the Sea of Japan and about 45 kilometers from Aomori City, the capital of Aomori Prefecture.

Farming is the main industry of Tsuruta. Cold-hardy varieties of rice and many varieties of apples are grown in the town. Farmers in the area recently developed a strain of apples that does not oxidize (turn brown) when cut.

Tsuruta's school system is part of a new government pilot program in Japan. Schools participating in the program pick an area of focus and develop specialized curricula that expose young kids to the specialty at an early age. Tsuruta's school system focuses on teaching English to kids starting in preschool.

To implement this program in elementary schools, Tsuruta employs both a JET English teacher and a private English teacher from the sister city of Hood River, Oregon.

The Tsuruta-Hoood River sister city relationship is among the most active in Japan, with groups of students and/or adults making a pilgrimage betweeen the two towns several times a year.

Tsuruta is famous in Japan for having the longest wooden footbridge. The bridge passes over Fujimi Lake. The town also hosts a cherry blossom festival that falls sometime around Japan's Golden Week, May 3-5.