# Kamikita District, Aomori

Kamikita District (上北郡, Kamikita-gun) is a district located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It occupies the east-central portion of the prefecture, south of Shimokita Peninsula.
As of 2010, the district has an estimated population of 100,526 and a density of 78.5 persons per km$^2$. The total area was 1281.05 km$^2$.

## Politics

In terms of national politics, the district is represented in the Diet of Japan's House of Representatives as a part of the Aomori 1st district and the Aomori 2nd district.

## Towns and villages

The district consists of six towns and one village. The cities of Towada and Misawa were formerly part of the district.
* Noheji
* Oirase
* Rokkasho
* Rokunohe
* Shichinohe
* Tōhoku
* Yokohama

## History

Kamikita 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 Nanbu clan, with daikansho located in Noheji and Shichinohe.
The Nanbu 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, Kamikita and Shimokita were divided from former Kita County, and Kamikita was divided into 50 villages. In the cadastral reform of April 1, 1889, the number of villages was reduced through consolidations and mergers to sixteen.

### District Timeline

* On September 27, 1897, the village of Noheji was elevated to town status.
* On September 1, 1902, the village of Shichinohe was elevated to town status.
* On September 1, 1910, the village of Sanbongi was elevated to town status.
* On April 20, 1929, the village of Momoishi was elevated to town status.
* On February 1, 1948, several villages or portions of villages were merged to create the town of Omisawa.
* On February 1, 1956, the town of Sanbongi was elevated to city status.
* On April 1, 1956, the village of Towada was elevated to town status.
* On October 1, 1957, the village of Rokunohe was elevated to town status.
* On April 1, 1958, the village of Yokohama was elevated to town status.
* On September 1, 1958, the town of Omisawa was elevated to city status and became the city of Misawa.
* On September 1, 1958, the village of Uranodate was elevated to town status and became the town of Kamikita.
* On August 1, 1969, the village of Shimoda was elevated to town status.
* On April 1, 1975, the town of Towada was renamed as the town of Towadako.

### District Background

| April 1, 1889 | 1889–1949 | 1950–1989 | 1950–1989 | 1989–present | present |
| Yokohama-mura | Yokohama-mura | Yokohama-mura | April 1, 1958 Yokohama-machi | Yokohama-machi | Yokohama-machi | Yokohama |
| Noheji-mura | September 27, 1897 Noheji-machi | Noheji-machi | Noheji-machi | Noheji-machi | Noheji-machi | Noheji |
| Uranodate-mura | Uranodate-mura | Uranodate-mura | September 1, 1958 renamed as Kamikita-machi | Kamikita-machi | March 31, 2005 Tōhoku-machi | Tōhoku |
| Kachiji-mura | Kachiji-mura | Kachiji-mura | November 1, 1963 renamed as Tōhoku-machi | Tōhoku-machi | March 31, 2005 Tōhoku-machi | Tōhoku |
| Shichinohe-mura | September 1, 1902 Shichinohe-machi | Shichinohe-machi | Shichinohe-machi | Shichinohe-machi | March 31, 2005 Shichinohe-machi | Shichinohe |
| Tenmabayashi-mura | Tenmabayashi-mura | Tenmabayashi-mura | Tenmabayashi-mura | Tenmabayashi-mura | March 31, 2005 Shichinohe-machi | Shichinohe |
| Sanbongi-mura | September 1, 1910 Sanbongi-machi | Sanbongi-machi | February 1, 1955 Sanbongi-shi October 10, 1956 renamed as Towada-shi | Towada-shi | January 1, 2005 Towada-shi | Towada |
| Ofukanai-mura | Ofukanai-mura | Ofukanai-mura | February 1, 1955 Sanbongi-shi October 10, 1956 renamed as Towada-shi | Towada-shi | January 1, 2005 Towada-shi | Towada |
| Fujisaka-mura | Fujisaka-mura | Fujisaka-mura | February 1, 1955 Sanbongi-shi October 10, 1956 renamed as Towada-shi | Towada-shi | January 1, 2005 Towada-shi | Towada |
| Yotsuwa-mura | Yotsuwa-mura | Yotsuwa-mura | March 1, 1956 merged into Misawa-shi | Towada-shi | January 1, 2005 Towada-shi | Towada |
| Hookusawa-mura | September 7, 1931 merged into Towada-mura | Towada-mura | April 1, 1956 Towada-machi | April 1, 1976 renamed as Towadako-machi | January 1, 2005 Towada-shi | Towada |
| Rokkasho-mura | Rokkasho-mura | Rokkasho-mura | Rokkasho-mura | Rokkasho-mura | Rokkasho-mura | Rokkasho |
| Misawa-mura | Misawa-mura | February 1, 1948 Omisawa-machi (part of Rokunohe, Shimoda Uranodate merged) | September 1, 1958 renamed as Misawa-shi | Misawa-shi | Misawa-shi | Misawa |
| Momoishi-mura | April 20, 1929 Momoishi-machi | Momoishi-machi | Momoishi-machi | Momoishi-machi | March 1, 2005 Oirase-machi | Oirase |
| Shimoda-mura | Shimoda-mura | Shimoda-mura | Shimoda-mura | August 1, 1969 Shimoda-machi | March 1, 2005 Oirase-machi | Oirase |
| Rokunohe-mura | Rokunohe-mura | Rokunohe-mura | October 1, 1957 Rokunohe-machi | Rokunohe-machi | Rokunohe-machi | Rokunohe |

### Recent mergers

* On January 1, 2005 - The town of Towadako was merged into the expanded city of Towada.
* On March 1, 2005 - The towns of Shimoda and Momoishi were merged to form the town of Oirase.