Hachirōgata, Akita

Hachirōgata 八郎潟町
Town
Hachirōgata Town Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Hachirōgata in Akita Prefecture
Hachirōgata
Coordinates: 39°57′N 140°4′E / 39.950°N 140.067°ECoordinates: 39°57′N 140°4′E / 39.950°N 140.067°E
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Akita
District	Minamiakita
Area
• Total	17.00 km^2 (6.56 sq mi)
Population (August 2013)
• Total	6,287
• Density	370/km^2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Japanese Zelkova
- Flower	Azalea
Phone number	018-875-5800
Address	Jidaidō 80, Hachirōgata-machi, Minamiakita-gun, Akita-ken 018-1692
Website	Official website

Hachirōgata (八郎潟町 Hachirōgata-machi) is a town located in Minamiakita District, Akita, Japan. As of August 2013, the town had an estimated population of 6,287 and a population density of 370 persons per km². The total area was 17.00  km². It is the smallest municipality in Akita Prefecture in terms of surface area.

Geography

Hachirōgata is located in the coastal flatlands northeastern Akita Prefecture, bordered by the remnant of Lake Hachirōgata which lies in the west of the town. Lake Hachirōgata was the second largest lake in Japan until it was drained in a land reclamation project from 1957 to 1977.

Neighboring municipalities

• Akita Prefecture
  • Ikawa, Akita
  • Ōgata, Akita
  • Gojōme, Akita
  • Mitane, Akita

History

The area of present-day Hachirōgata was part of ancient Dewa Province, dominated by the Satake clan during the Edo period, who ruled Kubota Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. The village of Omogata was established in 1889, the town of Hitoichi in 1925. The two merged in 1956 to form the town of Hachirōgata. Efforts to merge the town with neighboring Gojōme and Ikawa failed to pass a referendum in 2005.

Economy

The economy of Hachirōgata is based on agriculture.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East - Ōu Main Line
  • Hachirōgata

Highway

• Akita Expressway
• Japan National Route 7

External links

Media related to Hachirōgata, Akita at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (Japanese)