Kitakami, Iwate
| Kitakami 北上市 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| City | |||
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Kitakami City Hall | |||
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 Location of Kitakami in Iwate Prefecture | |||
  Kitakami
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| Coordinates: 39°17′N 141°7′E / 39.283°N 141.117°ECoordinates: 39°17′N 141°7′E / 39.283°N 141.117°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Tōhoku | ||
| Prefecture | Iwate | ||
| Government | |||
| • -Mayor | Toshihiko Takahashi (since May 2011) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 437.55 km2 (168.94 sq mi) | ||
| Population (February 2014) | |||
| • Total | 93,558 | ||
| • Density | 214/km2 (550/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| - Tree | Sakura | ||
| - Flower | White Lily | ||
| - Bird | Grey Wagtail | ||
| Phone number | 0197-64-2111 | ||
| Address | 1-1 Yoshi-cho, Kitakami-shi, Iwate-ken 024-8501 | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Kitakami (北上市 Kitakami-shi) is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2014, the city had an estimated population of 93,559 and a population density of 214 persons per km². The total area was 437.55 km². The city is famous for the sakura that bloom in Tenshochi Park, which is regarded as one of the hundred best places in Japan to view cherry blossoms.
Geography
Kitakami is located in south-central Iwate Prefecture, in the Kitakami River valley.
Neighboring municipalities
- Iwate Prefecture
History
The area of present-day Kitakami was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jomon period by the Emishi people. During the later portion of the Heian period, the area was ruled by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested by various samurai clans before being divided between the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain and the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate.
The modern city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1954, by the merger of the villages of Kurosawajiri, Iitoyo, Futako, Saraki, Oniyanai, Aisari and Fukuoka. On April 1, 1991 when Kitakami absorbed the neighboring village of Ezuriko and town of Waga (both from Waga District).
Economy
The economy of Kitakami was traditionally agricultural; however, due to its ease of access with Sendai and Morioka via the Tohoku Expressway, the area has rapidly developed into a kight manufacturing and transshipment center.
Transportation
Railway
- East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Tōhoku Shinkansen
- East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Tōhoku Main Line
- East Japan Railway Company (JR East) – Kitakami Line
- Kitakami - Yanagihara - Ezuriko - Fujine - Tatekawame - Yokokawame - Iwasawa - Wakasennin
Highway
- Tōhoku Expressway – Kitakami-Kanegasaki IC, Kitakami-Ezuriko IC
- Akita Expressway – Kitakami IC, Kitakami-Nishi IC
- Japan National Route 4
- Japan National Route 107
- Japan National Route 456
Local attractions
The city is famous for the sakura that bloom in Tenshochi Park, which is regarded as one of the hundred best places in Japan to view cherry blossoms.
Another hallmark of the city is Oni Kenbai, a traditional sword dance where the dancers dress as demons, performed during the summer festivals, such as Kitakami Michinoku Traditional Dance Festival.
Kitakami also boasts a site that is reputed to be the grave of the famous Heian period waka poet Izumi Shikibu.
International relations
USA – Concord, California, United States, since October 25, 1974
China – Sanmenxia, Henan Province, China, since May 25, 1985
Noted people from Kitakami
- Tamaki Saitō – psychologist
- Hiroki Suzuki – actor
- Saori Takahashi – professional women’s volleyball player
- Tatsuo Hirano – politician
- Yoshiaki Fujiwara – professional wrestler
- Akira Yaegashi – professional boxer
External links
Media related to Kitakami, Iwate at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (Japanese)
- Official website
