Saito, Miyazaki

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**Saito**
**西都市**
Saito's location in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū
Prefecture	Miyazaki Prefecture
Physical characteristics
Area	438.56 km² (169.33 sq mi)
Population (as of 2003)
Total	34,673
Density	79.07 /km² (205 /sq mi)
Location	32°7′N, 131°24′E
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
Saito Government Office
Mayor	Hashida Kazumi
Address	〒881-8501 2-1 Seriyo-cho, Saito-shi, Miyazaki-ken
Phone number	+81983-43-1111
Official website: [1]

Hitotsuse Dam (1976)

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.

The agricultural products of Saito green peppers, cucumbers and sweet corn. And the Saito is famous for it's eel from Hokita and the Saito Baru Burial Mounds.

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

[edit] Geography

Saito is the 5th largest city in the Miyazaki prefecture. 70% of the city is mountainous, and a river cuts through the city from northwest to southeast. Many other smaller streams cut through the valleys in Saito. Because so much of the city is covered by mountains and forest (some 80%) Saito is a beautiful green city. . It is bordered by Kijo Town, Takanabe Town, Shintomi Town in the East and Sadowara Town and Kunitomi Town in the South, and Nango Village and Shiba (椎葉) Village in the north.

Mountains: Higuchi Yama (樋口山), Soubugaku (掃部岳)
Rivers: Hitotsuse Gawa (一ツ瀬川), Sakura Kawa (桜川)
Lakes and Marshes: Komeryoujinzouko (米良人造湖), Chigokeike (稚児ケ池)
Dams: Hitotsuse Dam（一ツ瀬ダム）

[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 deity 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.^[1]^[2]

[edit] Festivals and Traditions

Saito City Flower Festival

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

The Flower Festival is a chance to enjoy Saitobaru's 2000 sakura trees as they flower for the short time at the end of March and beginning of April. Saitobaru is also full of canola plants (菜の花, nanohana^?).

'Kofun Matsuri'

Date: 27th - 29th of August
Time: 10am -10pm daily
Location: Saitobaru

Summer matsuri (festivals) are a regular occurrence and popular summer event all over Japan.

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Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[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.

Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

Tsuma Temple

Yamajibishamonten

Tonokori Castle Ruins

Sugiyasu

[edit] Local Schools

Elementary Schools

Tsumakita elementary 妻北小学校
Tsumaminami elementary 妻南小学校
Sanzai elementary 三財小学校
Minoh elementary 三納小学校
Yamada bunko elementary 山田分校
Chausubaru elementary 茶臼原小学校
Shirokami elementary 銀上小学校
Tonokouri elementary 都於郡小学校
Hokita elementary　穂北小学校

Junior High Schools

Tsuma JHS 妻中学校
Sanzai JHS 三財中学校
Minoh JHS 三納中学校
Shiromi JHS 銀鏡中学校
Hokita JHS　穂北中学校
Tonokouri JHS　都於郡中学校

High Schools

Tsuma High School 妻高校
Saito Commercial High School 西都商業高校

Colleges

[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 City.
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	Kyūshū 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 Kyūshū 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^[3]

[edit] Mayors of Saito City

	First Name	Last Name	In Office From
1st	武男 (Takeo)	落合 (Ochiai)	November 1958
2nd	武男 (Takeo)	落合 (Ochiai)	April 1962
3rd	守 (Mamoru)	岩倉 (Iwakura)	April 1966
4th	重美 (Shigemi)	中武 (Nakatake)	April 1970
5th	重美 (Shigemi)	中武 (Nakatake)	April 1974
6th	重美 (Shigemi)	中武 (Nakatake)	April 1978
7th	重美 (Shigemi)	中武 (Nakatake	April 1982
8th	重美 (Shigemi)	中武 (Nakatake)	April 1986
9th	招 (Sho?)	黒田 (Kuroda)	February 1989
10th	招 (Sho?)	黒田 (Kuroda)	February 1993
11th	招 (Sho?)	黒田 (Kuroda)	February 1997
12th	光幸 (Mitsuyuki)	日野 (Nichino)	February 2001
13th	和実 (Kazumi)	橋田 (Hashida)	February 2005