Wakatsu

Wakatsu [若們; わかつ] is the capital city of Saka Prefecture. As of 2022, it had a population of around 320,000. It is the largest city in the prefecture by both area and population.
The area was first settled around the 4th century. Around the end of the Chisō period, a warlord of the Wakatsu clan named Hara no Motoi moved to the region and built a castle there. Harano Castle changed hands several times after that; it came under the control of the Surima clan in the early 10th century, but was soon captured by the Yamako in 1190 after the Battle of Wakada and renamed to Yamako Castle. The Yamako chief Tenkyō then gave Wakatsu Castle to his son, Tenyū. During the 1400s the city was linked to the Nishi no Nari, an ancient dōryō which allowed trade, communication and travel from the capital.
The city of Wakatsu was formed in 1830, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. With a population of 25,000, it was designated as the prefectural capital of Saka Prefecture. By 1900, the Danhoku Line was established to connect Wakatsu to the capital, and by 1910, telephones and electric lighting were available throughout the city.
Like many other settlements across Saka, the western ward of the city sustained particularly severe damages in the 2011 Kanjō Bay earthquake and tsunami with 20,982 houses completely or partially destroyed; however, there were only two fatalities.
== Geography ==
Wakatsu is located in central Saka Prefecture, on the Tohara Delta plain. The Koronori River flows along the city's southern border, and Mount Nakano is situated to the west of the city centre. The Tohara River is due south-east of the city. The majority of the local region is flat and arable, which has allowed the land around the outskirts of the urban areas to be used for agriculture, particularly rice farming. Lake Yamako is located within the city centre.
== Economy ==
Wakatsu is primarily a regional commercial center and administrative city as most industry in Saka is concentrated around the nearby cities of Chiyuki and Taizen. Wakatsu has a modest but thriving tourism industry, centered on Yamako Castle, the Uriha Gardens, and local museums dedicated to the city's history.
== Education ==
=== Universities ===
* Saka University
* Wakatsu University
* Saka Prefectural University of Health Sciences
* Saka International University
* Wakatsu Junior College
* Wakazō Nursing College
== Local attractions ==
* Uriha Gardens
* Yamako Castle
* Wakatsu Museum
* Saka Prefectural Museum of History
* Lake Yamako Bridge
* Wakatsu Temple
* Saka Museum of Modern Art
* Wakatsu Botanic Gardens