Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Akiōta in 2020 is 5,740 people.
History
The area of Akiōta was part of an ancient Aki Province, and was part of the holdings of Hiroshima Domain during the Edo Period . Following the Meiji restoration, the area was organized into villages within Yamagata District, Hiroshima with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, including the villages Kake, Togouchi and Tsutsuga. Kake was raised to town status on February 10, 1898, and Togouchi on August 1, 1933. The town of Akiōta was formed on October 1, 2004, from the merger of the towns of Kake and Togouchi, and the village of Tsutsuga, all from Yamagata District.
On April 7, 2020, Shinji Kosaka, the mayor of Akiōta resigned after having accepted 200,000 yen from former Minister of Justice Katsuyuki Kawai in a vote-buying scandal.
Government
Akiōta has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. Akiōta contributes one member to the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Hiroshima 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The economy of Akiōta is largely based on agriculture and forestry, with seasonal tourism to its ski resorts.
Education
Akiōta has four public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation
Railway
Akiōta does not have any passenger railway service. The nearest train station is Aki-Kameyama Station on the JR West Kabe Line in Asakita-ku, Hiroshima
Highways
- 25px|link=|alt= Chūgoku Expressway
Notable places
- Mount Osorakan
- Nukui Dam
- Sandan Ravine
Notable people from Akiōta
- Kimie Bessho — para table tennis player
- Minoru Genda (1904 – 1989) — commander of the JASDF and politician (from Kake)
- Yasuhiko Moriwaki — judo wrestler (from the former town of Kake)