Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yokote has been in decline for the past 70 years.

History

The area of present-day Yokote was part of ancient Dewa Province and was the homeland of the Kiyohara clan of the Heian period Gosannen War. At the end of the Sengoku period, the area came under the control of the Onodera clan, who ruled from Yokote Castle. However, the Onodera sided against Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara and the area came under the control of the Satake clan, who had been relocated to Kubota Domain from their former holdings in Hitachi Province. Kubota Domain was uncommon in that it contained more than one castle, despite the Tokugawa shogunate's "one castle per domain" rule, and Yokote remained a secondary castle town under the Kubota clan until the Meiji restoration.

After the start of the Meiji period, the area became part of Hiraka District, Akita Prefecture in 1878, with one town and 23 villages. The modern city of Yokote was founded on April 1, 1951.

On October 1, 2005, the towns of Hiraka, Jūmonji, Masuda, Omonogawa and Ōmori, and the villages of Sannai, and Taiyū (all from Hiraka District) were merged into Yokote, which now occupies all of former Hiraka District, plus the villages of Meiji and Nishinarusei (formerly from Ogachi District), and the village of Kanazawa (formerly from Senboku District).

Government

thumb|Yokote City Hall Main Office

Yokote has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 25 members. The city contributes four members to the Akita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Akita 3rd District of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Yokote is based on agriculture.

Education

Yokote has fourteen public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government and five public high schools operated by the Akita Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one combined middle/high school and one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railway

20px East Japan Railway Company - Ōu Main Line

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20px East Japan Railway Company - Kitakami Line

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Highway

Air

The nearest airport is Akita Airport which is located approximately north west of Yokote.

Local attractions

thumb|Yokote Yakisoba

  • Akita Museum of Modern Art

Kamakura Festival

Yokote is known for its Kamakura Festival, a midwinter festival in which igloo-like snow houses are made throughout the town. It is held in the days leading to the Bonden Festival (mid February) and its location is focused around the city hall area. Children and others sit in the kamakura and serve amazake and mochi to visitors. In addition, several stalls are situated around town serving other types of typical Japanese festival food, including the town's own meibutsu "Yokote yakisoba".

An altar for the water deity is carved into the rear of the room inside each kamakura, where people pray for abundant harvests, the safety of their family members, protection against fire and for academic success. In addition to the large igloos, there are mini-kamakura which are spread throughout the city. There are candles inside the tiny snow domes. Some of the regular kamakura and the mini-kamakura are sponsored by local businesses and can sometimes be an advertisement for a product, such as a cell phone. The kamakura can be experienced year round in a building adjacent to Yokote City Hall called the Kamakura-kan. Inside, there are a few kamakura kept at a temperature of and are open to visitors.

International relations

Sister cities

Yokote is twinned with:

  • Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan, since May 24, 1985
  • Naka, Ibaraki, Japan, since October 22, 2004

Notable people from Yokote

  • Keishi Handa, basketball player
  • Makoto Hasegawa, basketball head coach
  • Kiyomi Sato, basketball head coach
  • Tatsuzō Ishikawa, author
  • Kiyonomori Masao, sumo wrestler
  • Yasushi Sasaki, movie director.
  • Sayuri Sugawara, musician
  • Yu Takahashi, musician
  • Manabu Terata, politician
  • Yoshinori Tomura, general
  • Daisuke Usami, volleyball player
  • Mitsu Dan, actress
  • Takao Yaguchi, manga artist

References

  • Official Website
  • Information & Articles in English
  • Yokote Tourism Website