Sakata, Yamagata


Sakata is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan., the city has an estimated population of 106,244 in 39320 households, and a population density of 180 people per km². The total area of the city is.

Geography

Sakata is located in the coastal plains of the northwest corner of Yamagata Prefecture, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west, and by Akita Prefecture to the north. The Mogami River runs through the city, which has Mount Chōkai on its northern border. The inhabited island of Tobishima, approximately off the coast of the mainland, is within the administrative borders of the city. The island, as well as part of the mainland portion of the city, is within the borders of the Chōkai Quasi-National Park

Neighboring municipalities

Per Japanese census data, the population of Sakata has remained relatively stable.

Climate

Sakata has a Humid continental climate with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Sakata is 15.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2086 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 27.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C.

History

The area of present-day Sakata was the location of the provincial capital of ancient Dewa Province, although the precise location has yet to be discovered by archaeologists. A port at the mouth of the Mogami River is known to have existed since the Kamakura period. Although silting rendered it less important in the Muromachi period, the area developed as a major center for the kitamaebune coastal trade during the Edo period. By the early Meiji period, the Honma clan, a local merchant clan, dominated trade and emerged as the largest landholder in Japan. Traces of their powerful influence on Sakata City can still be seen across the city. This includes the Honma Museum and The Honma Gardens located in the downtown area.
With the establishment of the modern municipalities system after the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized as Sakata Town under Akumi District, Yamagata Prefecture in 1878. Approximately 80% of the town was destroyed by the 1894 Shōnai earthquake and subsequent fires. The modern city of Sakata was founded on April 1, 1933.

World War II

The city largely escaped damage during World War II, save for a lone air raid on its port district on August 10, 1945, which left 30 people dead or missing.
On September 20, 1944 over 200 British prisoners of war transfer to the newly created POW camp, known officially as Sakata Branch Camp. The British would later be joined by American, Dutch and Australian POW's. The camp was liberated in September 1945. The camp was originally established as Tokyo 22B, jurisdictional transferred to Sendai on April 14, 1945. The camp roster included:
Most of the POW's were transferred from camps in the Osaka and Tokyo area and many had survived the sinking of the steamships Kachidoki Maru and Rakuyo Maru. The men were used as forced labor at the Port of Sakata and some worked for NITTSU, also known as Nippon Express, still operating in Japan today.

Post World War II

On October 29, 1976 Sakata suffered from a major fire which gutted 22.5 hectares of its city center, destroying 1,774 buildings and injuring 964 people.
On November 1, 2005, the towns of Hirata, Matsuyama and Yawata were merged into Sakata.

Government

Higashine has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 28 members. The city contributes five members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 3 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Sakata is based on light manufacturing, agriculture and commercial fishing. The Sakata Kyodo Thermal Power Station is a fossil-fueled power station operated by a joint venture of Tohoku Electric and Sumitomo Aluminum in the city.
Major employers include Maeta Seikan, which makes concrete products and has played a major role in supporting reconstruction after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Kao, a chemical and cosmetics company and the electronics company, Seiko Epson. Seiko Epson uses the local Shonai Airport for weekly employee charter flights to and from Matsumoto, Nagano since 1997.

Education

Universities

Airports

- Uetsu Main Line
East Japan Railway Company - Rikuu West Line

Cinemas

Sakata FM Radio

Sister city relations

Art and historical museums

Sakata Festival is a historical festival held every year in the center of the city between May 19 and May 21. The first festival was held in 1609 during the Edo period. In the past, it was called Sannou Festival. However, after a large fire damaged much of Sakata in 1976, the festival became a memorial event and was renamed Sakata Festival. There is a large parade in the central streets of the city, which features festival floats and dancers from schools, local companies and community organisations. Huge 'shishi gashira' are symbols of the festival. It is said that children chewed by the shishi gashira will become smart and healthy.
About 350 stalls line the side of the main street selling snacks, drinks and crafts.
Sakata was the shooting location for the following movies: