| Hita 日田市 |
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| — City — | |||
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| Location of Hita in Ōita Prefecture | |||
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Hita
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kyūshū | ||
| Prefecture | Ōita Prefecture | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Yōichi Satō | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 666.19 km2 (257.2 sq mi) | ||
| Population (April 2008) | |||
| • Total | 72,024 | ||
| • Density | 108/km2 (279.7/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| City symbols | |||
| - Tree | Camellia sasanqua | ||
| - Flower | Iris | ||
| - Bird | Sekirei (Motacillidae) | ||
| Phone number | 0973-23-3111 | ||
| Address | 2-6-1, Tajima, Hita-shi, Ōita-ken 877-8601 |
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| Website | Hita City | ||
Hita (日田市 Hita-shi) is a city in Ōita Prefecture, Japan, that was founded on December 11, 1940. It is an agricultural and industrial centre that primarily produces lumber, furniture, and pottery. Its attractions and scenic beauty also make it a popular tourist destination.
On March 22, 2005 the towns of Amagase and Ōyama, and the villages of Kamitsue, Maetsue and Nakatsue, all from Hita District, were merged into Hita.
As of 2008, the city had an estimated population of 72,024 and a density of 108 persons per km². The total area of the city is 666.19 km².
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Hita is located in the far west of Ōita Prefecture, and borders the neighbouring prefectures of Fukuoka, and Kumamoto. Surrounding cities include Kurume to its west, Nakatsu to the north, and Kusu to the east. Hita itself lies in a plain at the confluence of several rivers that flow west, eventually becoming the Chikugo River. The surrounding landscape is mountainous, typical of Ōita Prefecture. Due to this connection, although Hita is placed within Ōita Prefecture, it shared a deeper historical connection with Fukuoka Prefecture. The dialect used in Hita has the same characteristic to the Hichiku dialect, used in Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Saga Prefecture.
Hita is a natural basin surrounded by mountains, reaching 1000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level, while some mountains around Nakatsue, Maetsue and Kamitsue reach 1200 meters (3,937 ft) above sea level. This causes the air to be very stagnant, causing summer to get very hot, rising above 35 degrees often. While in winter, it gets notably cold. When it snows, snow can accumulate up to 10 centimeters inside the city, while in the mountain region, it accumulates more.
The numbers of Thunderstorms are also very prominent in Hita. The precipitation rate is high, while it helps grow the Japanese Cedar and the Lever trees used in the forestry industry, it also causes landslides.
The rivers and the characteristics of the basin cause a deep fog during spring and autumn, known as “Sokogiri” (Shallow ground fog)to appear in the morning. “Sokogiri” is a very dark fog, where you can't see anything for miles.
Many rivers that run through Hita join up to the Mikuma River. This river was used to distribute lumber to Kurume and Ōkawa at the end of the Edo Period but with the completion of the Yoake Dam, the use of this route stopped.
Towns and villages of note that lie within Hita's boundaries include:
For the municipal timeline of Hita, see Hita District (Japanese). Hita has shared borders with the former Hita District since 1889.
During 1593 Hita became an area of direct control from the Toyotomi Household as main city overseeing Kyushu. After the completion of the Hinokuma castle and after fortifying the Nagayama castle, Hita passed from Toyotomi household to the new Daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu and became a ‘Tenryo’ town, where the town was under direct control from the Tokugawa Shogunate. After the Meiji period it was known as Hita Prefecture, and after that, it was assimilated into Ōita Prefecture and remains like that today.
During the Edo period, Hita was modeled after Kyoto and its merchant culture, and even now, it is called ‘small Kyoto’. You will be able to see the trace of old Kyoto in streets of Mameda town inside Hita. It also has the school built by Hirose Tansou, where students from all over Japan came to learn regardless of their gender or status.
Key industry in Hita have been forestry due to its abundant supply in the surrounding mountains. The trees planted are also given the name Hita Cedar trees and from these trees, Geta and Lacquerware have also flourished.
Recently, companies such as TDK, Kyushu Sumidenso, as well as brewery Sapporo beer and Sanwa Shurui have expanded in the area.
The principal railway station of the city is Hita Station, where JR Kyushu, Kyūdai Main Line and Hitahikosan Line gathers.
There are three main bus service companies in Hita. The Hita Bus Company operates bus routes within the city and to other main cities in Kyushu, such as Ōita and Fukuoka city with Ōita Transportation Company. The Nishitetsu Bus Kurume Company operates bus routes within Fukuoka Prefecture, Saga Prefecture, to Hita. The Bus information center is located across the road from the station, which handles tickets and timetables.
Hita has many places of interest to visitors. The Gion Festival Centre in Kuma-machi provides information about the history and activities of Hita's annual summer festival, and exhibits six full-sized floats which are paraded around the city during the annual Gion Festival.
From July to November, fishermen erect bamboo fish traps (ayuyana) in the Mikuma river to capture Ayu fish; which are covered in salt and grilled.
Hita also has the Sapporo Beer factory, located on a hill overlooking the city. There is a free guided tour for visitors that is followed by a free 20-minute tasting session.
The Kusano family Hina Dolls can be viewed at the oldest house in Hita during the tourist season. In the March Doll's Festival, up to 200 of the collection are on display at once.
Hita has many festivals throughout the year that attract a steady stream of visitors. Some of the most popular festivals include:
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