Yurihonjō, Akita

Japanese city| Name = Yurihonjō
JapaneseName = 由利本荘市| Map

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Region = Tōhoku
Prefecture = Akita
Area_km2 = 1209.04 | Population = 86,854
PopDate = 2008
Density_km2 = 71.76
Mayor = Hiroshi Yanagida
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LatitudeDegrees= 39
LatitudeMinutes= 23
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LongtitudeDegrees= 140
LongtitudeMinutes= 5
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Tree =
Flower = Cherry Blossom
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CityHallPostalCode = 015-8501
CityHallAddress=Yurihonjō-shi, Ozaki17
CityHallPhone=0184-24-3321
CityHallLink = [http://www.city.yurihonjo.akita.jp/www/toppage/0000000000000/APM03000.html City of Yurihonjō] |

*Yurihonjō (由利本荘市 ) Yurihonjō-shi is a city located in Akita, Japan.

The city was founded on March 222005 from the merger of the former city of Honjō and the former towns of Chōkai, Higashiyuri, Iwaki, Nishime, Ōuchi, Yashima and Yuri. Just after the merger the new city of Yurihonjo had 126 representatives in its new city assembly, more than the whole of Tokyo.

As of July 2008, the city had an official population of 86,854 and a density of 71.76 persons per km². The total area is 1209.04 km².

Neighboring cities

*Akita 秋田市
*Nikaho 遊佐町にかほ市
*Daisen 大仙市
*Yuzawa 湯沢市
*Yokote 横手市
*Ugo 雄勝郡羽後町
*Sakata 山形県酒田市
*Yuza 山形県遊佐町
*Mamurogawa 山形県真室川町

Sightseeing spots

*Amasagi Village (天鷺村 ) Amasagi-mura
*:Amasagi Village is a complete tourist center in the town of Iwaki, northern Yurihonjō. It is centered around an historical facility, and it contains the samurai residence of the Unuma family (transferred from its original site), and a museum with collections of furniture and samurai armour.
*Akata Giant Buddha Statue (赤田大仏 ) Akata daibutsu
*:A large standing Buddha statue.
*Honjō Park (本荘公園 )
*:Each year a large cherry blossom festival (April) and Azalea festival (May) take place here.
*Yashio Park (八塩いこいの森 ) (Yashio ikoi no mori)
*:This park is famous for its yellow cherry blossom trees and it holds a firework display in May during full bloom.
*Hottai Waterfall (法体の滝 ) (Hottai no taki)
*:A waterfall, grassy park, and hiking trails in the mountains near Mt. Chokai.
*One Thousand Jizō (千体地蔵 )(Sentai Jizō)
*:One thousand stone statues line the side of a hill in Oriwatari, Ouchi. These statues wear a red bib, representing Jizō.
*Yashima Ski Area (矢島スキ-上 ) (Yashima ski jō))
*:a small but popular ski area on the lower slopes of the Chokai Mountain. It is especially popular with snowboarders.
*Minami Yurihara' (南由利原高原 )
*:a large plateau of outstanding natural beauty on the Akita side of Mount Chokai. It includes numerous rental cottages and an amusement area.

Honjō Marina & Koyoshi River

*Rowing
*:There are 500 metre & 1000 metre rowing courses at the mouth of the Koyoshi River. A major public regatta takes place here each year in September. Three high schools in Yurihonjō have their own rowing clubs with a history of success in national rowing championships.
*Marina, Sailing
*:Honjō has a wide beach with an adjacent yachting harbour.

Events

*Fireworks
*:A fireworks festival is held each year near the mouth of the Koyoshi River.
*Naked Festival (裸参り ) (Hadaka matsuri)
*:This religious event takes place in January in which a group of men and boys walk through the snow to Shinzan Shrine.

Mount Chōkai

*Mount Chokai (鳥海山 )is an inactive volcano which stands alone on the border between Akita Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture. It is 2236 metres high and is the second highest mountain in the Tohoku area. It is popular with skiers, hikers and climbers.

There are two main trails for climbing Mount Chōkai from the Akita side. One trailhead is in Nikaho, Akita, south of Yurihonjō. The other, in Yurihonjo, starts at the Haraikawa parking area　(秡川 ) . A one-way hike from the Haraikawa commonly takes 3 hours and there are bungalows and camping sites on the lower slopes of this trail.

The mountain has its own unique Alpine plants and vegetation such as *Chōkai Thistle (チョウカイアザミ )or *Chōkai Fusuma (チョウカイフスマ ) .

Local crafts, arts, and food

*Rice Wine Sake
*:There are four independent rice wine breweries in Yurihonjō: Akita Homare, Yuri Masamune, Tenju, and Dewanofuji.
*Honjō Udon| (本荘うどん )
*:dried noodles which are eaten hot or cold. The texture of Honjō Udon is tough.
*Gotenmari ball (ごてんまり)
*:these elaborate decorative balls are made from silk thread and are a popular souvenir of Yurihonjō.
*Honjō Lacquer (本荘塗り) (Honjō-nuri)
*:a number of craftsmen in Yurihonjō produce traditional lacquerware.
*Honjō Oiwake (本荘追分 )
*:this is a traditional folk song, known as min'yō, which is reputed to be one of the most difficult for singers to master. A national Honjō Oiwake competition is held in Yurihonjō every year over 2 days in September.
*Mountain Vegetables (山菜 ) (sansai)
*:the foothills of Mount Chōkai produce many varieties of wild mountain vegetables and in spring and autumn it is common to see cars parked on the side of the road as people stop to pick them. Popular mountain vegetables are "Yamaudo" (山ウド), "bamboo shoots" (笹タケノコ) and "warabi" (ワラビ).

Hot springs and spas

There are comparatively many hot springs - known as onsen in Japanese - in Yurihonjō, including some large scale ones which also offer accommodation such as the Poporoko Hot Spring.

*Taki hot spring (滝温泉 ) (Taki Onsen) in the Ouchi area is reputed to cure minor pains and many sufferers stay there long-term.

Famous people from Yurihonjō

* Kanezō Muraoka (村岡兼造 ), a leading politician in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Served as Transport Minister and Government Spokesman.
* Masaki Tsuchida (土田正顕 ), the first head of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and later the Japan Tax Agency.
* Mika Yamauchi (山内美加 ), an Olympic volleyball player.
* Natsuki Katō (加藤夏希 ), a current TV celebrity.
* Satoshi Nibe (仁部智 ), a pitcher for Hiroshima Carp baseball team.

Twin Cities

Yurihonjo is twinned with three foreign cities: Vac in Hungary; Yangsan in South Korea; and Wuxi in China.