Sakata, Yamagata

Sakata, Yamagata
is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 96,777 in 42,600 households, and a population density of 180 people per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Sakata is located in the coastal plains of the northwest corner of Yamagata Prefecture, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west, and by Akita Prefecture to the north. The city has Mount Chōkai on its northern border; however, the urban center is in the flatlands of the Shōnai Plains on the right bank of the Mogami River. The inhabited island of Tobishima, approximately off the coast of the mainland, is within the administrative borders of the city. The island, as well as part of the mainland portion of the city, is within the borders of the Chōkai Quasi-National Park
Neighboring municipalities
Akita Prefecture
Yurihonjō
Nikaho
Yamagata Prefecture
Tsuruoka
Yuza
Shōnai
Mikawa
Mamurogawa
Sakegawa
Tozawa
Climate
Sakata has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. The average annual temperature in Sakata is . The average annual rainfall is with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .
Demographics
According to Japanese census data, the population of Sakata has declined in recent decades.
History
The area of present-day Sakata was the location of the provincial capital of ancient Dewa Province, although the precise location has yet to be discovered by archaeologists. A port at the mouth of the Mogami River is known to have existed since the Kamakura period. Although silting rendered it less important in the Muromachi period, the area developed as a major center for the coastal trade during the Edo period. By the early Meiji period, the Honma clan, a local merchant clan, dominated trade and emerged as the largest landholder in Japan. Traces of their powerful influence on Sakata City can still be seen across the city. This includes the Honma Museum and The Honma Gardens located in the downtown area.
With the establishment of the modern municipalities system after the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized as Sakata Town under Akumi District, Yamagata Prefecture in 1878. Approximately 80% of the town was destroyed by the 1894 Shōnai earthquake and subsequent fires. The modern city of Sakata was founded on April 1, 1933.
World War II
The city largely escaped damage during World War II, save for a lone air raid on its port district on August 10, 1945, which left 30 people dead or missing.
On September 20, 1944, over 200 British prisoners of war transfer to the newly created POW camp, known officially as Sakata Branch Camp (Sendai 9-B). The British would later be joined by American, Dutch and Australian POW's. The camp was liberated in September 1945. The camp was originally established as Tokyo 22B, jurisdictional transferred to Sendai on April 14, 1945. The camp roster included:
15 Americans, no deaths
248 British, 13 deceased
5 Dutch, no deaths
26 Australians, 5 deceased
Most of the POW's were transferred from camps in the Osaka and Tokyo area and many had survived the sinking of the steamships and . The men were used as forced labor at the Port of Sakata and some worked for Nittsu, also known as Nippon Express, still operating in Japan today.
After World War II
On October 29, 1976, Sakata suffered from a major fire which gutted 22.5 hectares of its city center, destroying 1,774 buildings and injuring 964 people (and one fatality).
On November 1, 2005, the towns of Hirata, Matsuyama, and Yawata (all from Akumi District) were merged into Sakata.
Government
Higashine has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 28 members. The city contributes five members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 3 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The economy of Sakata is based on light manufacturing, agriculture, and commercial fishing. The Sakata Kyodo Thermal Power Station is a fossil-fueled power station operated by a joint venture of Tohoku Electric and Sumitomo Aluminum in the city.
Major employers include Maeta Seikan, which makes concrete products and has played a major role in supporting reconstruction after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Kao, a chemical and cosmetics company and the electronics company, Seiko Epson. Seiko Epson uses the local Shonai Airport for weekly employee charter flights to and from Matsumoto, Nagano since 1997.
Education
Universities
Tohoku University of Community Service and Science
Vocational schools
Sakata Municipal Sakata Nursing College
Sakata Cooking College
Yamagata Prefectural College of Industrial Technology - Shonai Campus
High schools
Yamagata Prefectural Sakata Higashi High School
Yamagata Prefectural Sakata Nishi High School
Yamagata Prefectural Sakata Koryo High School
Sakata Minami High School (private)
Wajunkan High School (private)
Junior high schools
Sakata First Junior High School
Sakata Second Junior High School
Sakata Third Junior High School
Sakata Fourth Junior High School
Sakata Sixth Junior High School
Chokai Hachiman Junior High School (private)
Tobu Junior High School (private)
Elementary schools
Sakata Takusei Elementary School
Sakata Hamada Elementary School
Sakata Wakahama Elementary School
Sakata Fujimi Elementary School
Sakata Kijo Elementary School
Sakata Matsubara Elementary School
Sakata Matsuryo Elementary School
Sakata Izumi Elementary School
Sakata Nishi Arase Elementary School
Sakata Niibori Elementary School
Sakata Hirono Elementary School
Sakata Hamanaka Elementary School
Sakata Kuromori Elementary School
Sakata Tozaka Elementary School
Sakata Miyanoura Elementary School
Sakata Hirata Elementary School
Sakata Chokai Elementary School
Sakata Minami Yuza Elementary School
Sakata Yawata Elementary School
Sakata Ichijo Elementary School
Sakata Matsuyama Elementary School
Sakata Minami Hirata Elementary School
Transportation
Airports
Shonai Airport
Railway
East Japan Railway Company - Uetsu Main Line
- - - -
East Japan Railway Company - Rikuu West Line
Highway
: (Sakata, Sakata Minato, and Shōnai Airport interchanges)
Seaports
Port of Sakata
Health care
Prefectural Nihonkai Hospital
Municipal Sakata Hospital
Municipal Yawata Hospital
Homma Hospital
Media
Cinemas
Sakata Minato-za
Newspaper
Television
NHK Sakata Broadcast Station
TV-U Yamagata Sakata Station
Sakata Cable Television Station
Radio
Sakata FM Radio
Sister city relations
Tangshan, Hebei, China – since July 26, 1990
Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia – since October 8, 1979
Delaware, Ohio, United States – since April 19, 2017
Culture
Festivals
The Sakata Festival is a major historical festival held every year between May 19 and May 21. The first festival was held in 1609, during the Edo period, and was called the . However, after a large fire damaged much of Sakata in 1976, the festival became a memorial event and was renamed . There is a large parade in the central streets of the city, which features festival floats and dancers from schools, local companies, and community organizations. Huge are symbols of the festival. It is said that children chewed by the will become smart and healthy. About 350 stalls line the side of the main street selling snacks, drinks, and crafts.
The celebration of the Sakata Festival was not interrupted by the eruption of Mount Chōkai in 1801, the 1894 Shōnai earthquake, the 1796 and 1976 Great Fires in Sakata, World War I, or World War II; however, it was interrupted in 2020 and 2021, due to prevention measures associated with the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Films
Sakata was the shooting location for the following movies:
Okuribito (English title Departures), 2008, winner of the Oscar for best foreign film. Set in present time, a newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals.
Silk, 2007, a film set in the 19th century, about a silkworm merchant and his love life, based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco
Oshin, 2013, a film about the life of a young girl named Oshin who grew up in poverty in the Sakata region. The film was directed by Shin Togashi.
Local attractions
Art and historical museums
Domon Ken Photography Museum – a museum dedicated to Ken Domon, one of the most famous photographers in Japanese history. This is also the only museum in the world that is dedicated to a single photographer.
Homma Museum of Art – the Honma Museum of Art is a converted old villa which once belonged to the Honma clan. The villa was used by the lords of the Sakai family in the Edo period. Some of the fine arts items in the museum's collection were donated by other clans in Japan, other furniture and fixings belonged to the Honma clan. The museum has a garden from which Mount Chokai can be seen.
The Historic Residence – this museum is a restored home of one of the most famous merchant families in Sakata City. During the 1800s, this city played a key role in domestic trade within Japan. The Residence is open for visitors to see how merchants conducted business and how the servants for this family supported them behind the scenes.
Sakata City Museum of Art – this museum contains a permanent collection which mainly focuses on the work of sculptor Takahashi Go and painter Saito Chozo. The museum is located 20 minutes from Sakata Station and has views of nearby Mount Chōkai.
– a Tea House complex located beside Sakata City Museum of Art. It was built in 1994 and has a traditional Japanese design.
– a traditional Japanese restaurant dating from the Edo period. The culture of dancing in Sakata is a result of the city's close trading relationship with Osaka and Kyoto. The building has been carefully renovated and contains many traditional features. It also features an art gallery with the personal collection of Hirata Bokujo, a large pork company that is based in Sakata City.
Sake Museum
Famous and historical sites
Sankyo Storehouse – this was built in 1893 to store rice. On the storehouse's southern side, there is a line of 41 Zelkova trees, which were planted over 150 years ago to help keep the temperature of the storehouses low during the hot summer months. The modern day storehouse contains a small museum with information regarding the history and culture of Sakata, a restaurant and a souvenir shop which sells local foods and .
Hiyoriyama Park – a park located close to the city center which offers panoramic views of the Port of Sakata. There are over 400 cherry trees in the park and it is home to a cherry blossom festival in late April.
The Historical Honma Residence – a historic residence of a famous merchant clan. This home is located nearby the Historic Residence and has many rooms and displays.
The Kinowa Wall Site
The Historical Shirasaki Clinic
Shrines and temples
Jofuku Temple
Kaikou-ji Temple – Shingon Buddhism temple located in the centre of Sakata near Hiyoriyama Park. The temple contains the remains of two priests who starved themselves to death through a process of self-mummification called .
Jichi-in Temple – a Buddhist temple at the heart of Sakata City located right next to Hiyoriyama Park and the historic entertainment district of this port city. This temple offers zazen meditation led by the head priest who can speak English.
Notable people
Teiji Honma, ice hockey goaltender
Ken Domon, photographer
Kumiko Ikeda, long jumper
Kinnosuke Ogura, mathematician
Shūmei Ōkawa, nationalist author and politician
Seiko Shimakage, volleyball player and golfer
Homma Munehisa, legendary 18th century rice trader
Haruo Nakajima, Japanese actor, best known for portraying Godzilla from the 1950s through the early 1970s
Chris Broad, British YouTuber
References
External links
English Information https://www.thehiddenjapan.com/sakata
Official Website
Sakata Sightseeing Guide(Japanese)
Sightseeing guide(English)
Cities in Yamagata Prefecture
Populated coastal places in Japan
Port settlements in Japan