Shimokita District, Aomori

Shimokita District in Aomori Prefecture

Japanese monkeys

Colored areas are in the district

1. Kawauchi (now part of Mutsu-shi)
2. Ōhata (now part of Mutsu-shi)
3. Ōma
4. Higashidōri
5. Kazamaura
6. Sai
7. Wakinosawa (now part of Mutsu-shi)

Shimokita District (下北郡 Shimokita-gun) is a district located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It occupies most of the northern handle of Shimokita Peninsula with the exception of Mutsu City and contains the most northern point on the island of Honshū. It is also home to the Japanese macaque, making it the northernmost natural habitat for monkeys anywhere in the world.

As of 2009, the district has an estimated population of 18,297 and a density of 33.2 persons per km². The total area was 551. 08 km².

Towns and villages

The district currently consists of one town and three villages. The city of Mutsu was formerly part of the district.

• Ōma
• Higashidōri
• Kazamaura
• Sai

History

Shimokita District was part of ancient Kita County (北郡 Kita-gun), established by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Edo period, the area was part of the Morioka han feudal domain of the Nambu clan, with a daikansho located in Tanabu (now part of the city of Mutsu.

The Nambu clan sided with the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei during the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration and were punished by the new Meiji government by loss of their northern territories. In November 1869, Kita-gun and neighboring Sannohe District became part of the newly created Tonami Domain (斗南藩 Tonami-han), a 30,000 koku holding created to resettle the dispossessed Matsudaira clan from Aizu-Wakamatsu. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Tonami Domain became Tonami Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Aomori Prefecture in September 1871.

During the early Meiji period administrative reorganization of Japan on July 22, 1878, Shimokita and Kamikita were divided from former Kita County, and Shimokita was divided into 33 villages. In the cadastral reform of April 1, 1889, the number of villages was reduced through consolidations and mergers to nine. Tanabu Village was elevated to town status on January 1, 1899 and Kawauchi Village became Kawauchi Town on October 31, 1917. On November 10, 1928 the Imperial Japanese Navy port of Ōminato was proclaimed a town, followed by Ōhata Town on May 1, 1934. Ōma Village became Ōma Town on November 3, 1942. On September 1, 1959 Ōminato and Tanabu towns merged to form the city of Ōminato-Tanabu, later renamed Mutsu. On March 14, 2005 the towns of Kawauchi and Ōhata and the village of Wakinosawa merged into the city of Mutsu.

pre-1889	April 1, 1889	1889 - 1949	1950–1989		1989–present	present
Ōma Village Okudo Village	Ōoku Village	November 3, 1942 Ōma Town	Ōma Town		Ōma Town	Ōma
Shimofuro Village Ikokuma Village Hebiurakani Village	Kazamaura Village	Kazamaura Village	Kazamaura Village		Kazamaura Village	Kazamaura
Sai Village Chogo Village	Sai Village	Sai Village	Sai Village		Sai Village	Sai
Tanabu Village Sekine Village Okunai Village Nakanosawa Village	Tanabu Village	January 1, 1901 Tanabu Town	September 1, 1959 Ōminato-Tanabu City	August 1, 1960 name change Mutsu City	Mutsu City	Mutsu
Ōminato Village Ōhira Village Jogasawa Village	Ōminato Village	November 10, 1928 Ōminato Town
Kawauchi Village Hikawa Village Shukuobe Village Kakizaki Village	Kawauchi Village	October 31, 1917 Kawauchi Town	Kawauchi Town		March 14, 2005 merged with Mutsu City
Ōhata Village Shozugawa Village	Ōhata Village	May 1, 1934 Ōhata Town	Ōhata Town
Wakinosawa Village Ozawa Village	Wakinosawa Village	Wakinosawa Village	Wakinosawa Village
Ōri Village Mena Village Gamanosawa Village Noushi Village Iwaya Village Shikariya Village Shitsukari Village Sarugamori Village Odanozawa Village Shiranuka Village Sunagomata Village Taya Village	Higashidōri Village	Higashidōri Village	Higashidōri Village		Higashidōri Village	Higashidōri

Coordinates: 41°17′N 141°13′E / 41.283°N 141.217°E