Akita, Japan

October 2, 2009 in Asia

Akita is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, and is known to be one of the most beautiful prefectures too. It is located somewhere in the Tohoku region of Japan. Till the year 600, Akita was known to be quite separated and away from the workings of main Japan. There was not much involvement of Akita in the commerce, politics, trade etc. of the country. It mainly comprised of certain specific nomadic tribes, and thus, was very limited in its scope and function. It was like a small different world in itself.

In the year 658 Abe no Hirafu conquered the Ezo tribes. The places where these tribes existed are exactly where Akita and Noshiro stand today. Hirafu was the governor of the Koshi province, and he had established a fort on the Mogami river, which marks the beginnings of the Japanese settlement in that area. The Koshi province is actually the northwest part of Honshu, which borders the Sea of Japan.

In 733, a new military settlement came up which was later renamed as the Akita castle. Since then, there have been several sets of people coming in and going from Akita. While some have been conquerors, others have been military people. All have used Akita for various purposes, and as a result, Akita has faced a mix of cultures, rulers, functioning systems etc. The Satake clan that had ruled the region for almost 260 years had done a lot to develop agriculture and mining industries in this area, which are predominant event today. In 1871, the Dewa province was renovated to form the modern-day borders of Akita.

The Akita prefecture is squarish in shape with the Ou Mountains making for the eastern border. The Dewa mountains run parallel via the center of the prefecture. Akita is known for having cold winters. Pictures of this prefecture show it to be a place full of greenery and beautiful natural delight that soothes the eyes. For those living there, it soothes the mind, body and soul too.

There are a lot of traditional industries operating in Akita, and thus, like most of the Tohoku region, the economy in Akita too remains dominant with these. These industries include fishing, agriculture, forestry etc. Many young people have considered this place to have slow development, because of which they migrate to Tokyo and other big cities. In this respect, the fall of population in the Akita region is quite quick.

Rice farming and sake breweries are quite famous in Akita and form an important part of its culture. The Akita breed of dogs carries the name of the prefecture and is quite popular.  Tourism is developing here, thanks to some interesting festivals that take place in this region.