Per Japanese census data, the population of Nikaho has been declining over the past 30 years.
Climate
Nikaho has a Humid subtropical climate with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Nkaho is 10.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1877 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.9 °C.
History
The area of present-day Nikaho was part of ancient Ugo Province, dominated by the Satake clan during the Edo period, who ruled Kubota Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. After the start of the Meiji period, it became part of Yuri District, Akita Prefecture in 1878 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The village of Hirasawa was established on April 1, 1889 and was raised to town status on June 4, 1902. After merging with the villages of Koide ad Innai on March 31, 1955 it was renamed Nikaho town. The city of Nikaho was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of Nikaho, with the neighboring the towns of Kisakata and Konoura.
:a thousand-year old temple in the south of Nikaho which was made famous by the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō's visit to the area in 1689. He wrote of the temple in his Oku no Hosomichi.
Kujūkushima
:a collection of clumps of land which used to be small islands until a major earthquake in 1804 submerged the sea around them. They were often compared to the similar small islands on the Pacific coast of Matsushima.
:a children's museum in the north of Nikaho with many interactive exhibits which explores the different uses of ferrite.
Shirase Antarctic Memorial Museum
:a memorial museum which focuses on the Antarctic Expedition by local explorer Shirase Nobu and includes a replica of Shirase's ship.
TDK Museum
:a museum full of information and exhibits about the company TDK. TDK was founded by a local man Kenzō Saitō and there are many TDK factories and suppliers in the area.
Parks in Nikaho
Seishi Park
:a park surrounding a lake and ringed with cherry trees. It is especially attractive in late April and early May when the cherry trees start to bloom.
Kuriyamaike Park
:a park in the foothills of Mount Chokai with a small lake, cherry trees and hydrangeas.
Misaki Park
:a park which snakes along the coast on the border of Yamagata and Akita Prefectures.
Nikaho Heights
:a plateau in the foothills of Mount Chokai with splendid views of the area.
Local events
Fireworks
:A fireworks festival is held each year over three nights in each of the former towns of Nikaho City.
Cod Festival
:This religious event takes place in February in which cod are carried from the Konoura fishing port to a local Shinto shrine.
Akita Triathlon Bashō's Race in Kisakata
:one of the top triathlon events in the Japanese calendar.
is an inactive volcano which stands alone on the border between Akita Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture. It is 2236 metres high and is the second highest mountain in the Tōhoku area. It is popular with skiers, hikers and climbers. There are two main trails for climbing Mount Chōkai from the Akita side. One trailhead is in Yurihonjō, Akita, north of Nikaho. The other, in Nikaho, starts at the Nakajima parking area. A one-way hike from the Nakajima commonly takes 4 hours and offers outstanding views of the Japan Sea coast and the lush greenery of the Nikaho area. The mountain has its own unique Alpine plants and vegetation such as Chōkai Thistle or Chōkai Fusuma.
Local crafts, arts, and food
Sake
:There is one independent sake brewery in Nikaho: Hiraizumi
