Saito, Miyazaki

Japanese city
Name = Saito
JapaneseName=西都市
Prefecture=Miyazaki Prefecture
Region=Kyūshū
Area_km2=438.56
Population=34,673
PopDate=2003
Density_km2=79.07
Coords = coord|32|7|N|131|24|E|region:JP_type:city
Postal code=881-0000
Area code=
Mayor = Hashida Kazumi
Tree = Myrica rubra (ヤマモモ)Japanese Bayberry
Flower = Azalea (ミツバツツジ)|Bird =Cettia diphone (ウグイス)|Symbol

CityHallAddress= 2-1 Seriyo-cho, Saito-shi, Miyazaki-ken
CityHallPhone= [phone]
CityHallLink = [http://www.city.saito.miyazaki.jp] | City

---

Elevation=
nihongo|Saito|西都市|Saito-shi is a city located in Miyazaki, Japan.

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 34,676 and the density of 79.07 persons per km². The total area is 438.56 km².

The agricultural products of Saito include green peppers, cucumbers and sweet corn. And the Saito is famous for its eel from Hokita and the Saito Baru Burial Mounds.

Geography

Saito is the 5th largest city in the Miyazaki prefecture. 70% of the city is mountainous, and a river cuts through the city from northwest to southeast. Many other smaller streams cut through the valleys in Saito. Because so much of the city is covered by mountains and forest (some 80%) Saito is a beautiful green city. It is bordered by Kijo Town, Takanabe Town, Shintomi Town in the East and Sadowara Town and Kunitomi Town in the South, and Nango Village and Shiba (椎葉) Village in the north.

*Mountains: Higuchi Yama (樋口山), Soubugaku (掃部岳)
*Rivers: Hitotsuse Gawa (一ツ瀬川), Sakura Kawa (桜川)
*Lakes and Marshes: Komeryoujinzouko (米良人造湖), Chigokeike (稚児ケ池)
*Dams: Hitotsuse Dam（一ツ瀬ダム）

Mythology

The "Kojiki" is an ancient manuscript which tells many creation and origin stories which attribute to different traditions and in Saito.

The myth of the all night Kagura dance in Shiromi goes thus: When Amatsuhiko-Hiko-Hononinigi-no-Mikoto (Hononinigi) descended from heaven onto the peak of Mt. Takachiho in a place called Himuka of Tsukushi, with him came many servants and gifts received from the sun god Amaterasu, among the gifts were a sickle, a sword and a mirror.

When he met Konohana-no-Sakuya-Bime (Tree-Blossom-Blooming-Princess), a beautiful princess he asked her father for her hand in marriage and her father agreed sending with her many gifts and her sister Ihanaga-Hime (Eternal-Rock-Princess), Ihanaga-Hime's father wanted to endow Hononinigi's children with long life like that of a rock.

However Hononinigi found Ihanaga-Hime so ugly he sent her back to her father and then proceeded to consummate his marriage with Konohana-no-Sakuya-Bime, which was the first marriage between a deity of earth with one of heaven. On returning home Ihanaga-Hime bemoaning her misfortune threw away a mirror reflecting her own image in its glass, the mirror fell in Shiromi. So the Shiromi shrine is dedicated to Ihanaga-Hime. [cite web|title = The Palace of Japanese Myth |url=http://nihonsinwa.at.infoseek.co.jp/english/english.htm | accessdate =2007-02-14 | date = 26 October 2005 ] [cite press release |title=Mythology of Miyazaki City |publisher Miyazaki City Tourism Association|date 2005-10-01]

Festivals and Traditions

Saito City Flower Festival
*"Date": 31st of March ~ 8th of April
*"Time": 10am - 10pm daily
*"Location": Saitobaru

The Flower Festival is a chance to enjoy Saitobaru's 2000 sakura trees as they flower for the short time at the end of March and beginning of April. Saitobaru is also full of nihongo|canola plants|菜の花|nanohana.

'Kofun Matsuri'
*"Date": 27th - 29th of August
*"Time": 10am -10pm daily
*"Location": Saitobaru

Summer matsuri (festivals) are a regular occurrence and popular summer event all over Japan.

Places of Interest

There are many places of interest in Saito. These include shrines, temples, museums and buildings of architectural or historical interest. Saito is perhaps most famous for Saitobaru which is a National Special Historic site and historical research site. Other notable places include Saito's Sports Center, Concert Hall and Irifune Eel Restaurant.

Saitobaru

Saitobaru is a collection of 9 clusters of tumuli comprising 311 burial mounds which lay on a plateau roughly 4 by 2 km in size, making it one of the largest collections of burial mounds in Japan. It was designated a Special Historic site by the Japanese government in 1952.

Tsuma Temple

Yamajibishamonten

Tonokori Castle Ruins

Sugiyasu

Local Schools

Elementary Schools
* Tsumakita elementary 妻北小学校
* Tsumaminami elementary 妻南小学校
* Sanzai elementary 三財小学校
* Minoh elementary 三納小学校
* Yamada bunko elementary 山田分校
* Chausubaru elementary 茶臼原小学校
* Shirokami elementary 銀上小学校
* Tonokouri elementary 都於郡小学校
* Hokita elementary　穂北小学校

Junior High Schools
* Tsuma JHS 妻中学校
* Sanzai JHS 三財中学校
* Minoh JHS 三納中学校
* Shiromi JHS 銀鏡中学校
* Hokita JHS　穂北中学校
* Tonokouri JHS　都於郡中学校

High Schools
* Tsuma High School 妻高校
* Saito Commercial High School 西都商業高校

Colleges

History

Translated from the Saito Homepage [cite web| url=http://www.city.saito.miyazaki.jp/info/history.html|Accessdate=October| title=西都市の歴史]

Mayors of Saito City

Note: Where question marks (?) accompany kanji characters a translation is needed.

External links

* [http://www.city.saito.miyazaki.jp/ Official website] in Japanese
* [http://www.city.saito.miyazaki.jp/info/gaiyo.html Information] in Japanese
* [http://www.kanko-miyazaki.jp/digilib/town_e/saito_e.html Pictures] Pictures of places and events in Saito
* [http://www.bunka.go.jp/saitobaru/enter.html Saito Burial Mounds] in Japanese and English

References