Nikaho, Akita

Nikaho にかほ市
—  City  —
Flag
Location of Nikaho in Akita
Nikaho
Coordinates: 39°23′N 140°5′E / 39.383°N 140.083°E / 39.383; 140.083Coordinates: 39°23′N 140°5′E / 39.383°N 140.083°E / 39.383; 140.083
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Akita
Area
- Total	240.61 km2 (92.9 sq mi)
Population (2008)
- Total	28,326
- Density	118/km2 (305.6/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Cedar
- Flower	Silk Tree
- Bird	Sea Cormorant
Phone number	0184-43-3200
Address	1 Aza-Hamanota, Kisakatamachi, Nikaho-shi 018-0113
Website	City of Nikaho

Nikaho (にかほ市, Nikaho-shi^?) is a city located in Akita, Japan.

On October 1, 2005, the town of Nikaho merged with the towns of Kisakata and Konoura, all from Yuri District, to form the city of Nikaho. The new city has an area of 240.61km², and an estimated population of 28,289 as of October 2008.

City Symbols

The city tree is the Mura pine, which grows thickly in forests covering the surrounding mountains. The city flower is the flower of the silk tree. The city bird is the sea cormorant. The city fish is the codfish, which is plentiful off the coast.

Neighboring cities

• Yuza, Yamagata
• Yurihonjō, Akita

Sightseeing spots

• Kanman-ji Temple (蚶満寺, Kanman-ji^?)

  a thousand-year old temple in the south of Nikaho which was made famous by the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō's visit to the area in 1689. He wrote of the temple in his Oku no Hosomichi.

• Kujūkushima (旧跡九十九島, Kyūseki Kujūkushima^?)

  a collection of clumps of land which used to be small islands until a major earthquake in 1804 submerged the sea around them. They were often compared to the similar small islands on the Pacific coast of Matsushima.

• Kosagawa Beach (小砂川海水浴場^?)

  a long stretch of sandy beach in the south of Nikaho.

• Kisakata Hot Spring (象潟温泉^?)

  An onsen (hot spring) located in the Nemunooka Roadside Station. The hot spring offers stunning views of the Japan Sea coast.

• Ferrite Children's Science Museum (フェライト子ども科学館^?)

  a children's museum in the north of Nikaho which explores the different uses of ferrite. Admission is 500 yen and includes many interactive exhibits.

• Shirase Antarctic Memorial Museum (白瀬南極探検隊記念館^?)

  a memorial museum which focuses on the Antarctic Expedition by local explorer Nobuo Shirase. Admission is 300 yen for adults and there is a park opposite with a replica of Shirase's Antarctic ship.

• TDK Museum (TDK歴史館^?)

  a recently opened museum full of fascinating information and exhibits about the company TDK. TDK was founded by a local man Kenzō Saitō and there are many TDK factories and suppliers in the area.

Parks in Nikaho

There are a number of parks in Nikaho with outstanding natural beauty

• Seishi Park (勢至公園, Seishi Kōen^?)

  a park surrounding a lake and ringed with cherry trees. It is especially attractive in late April and early May when the cherry trees start to bloom.

• Kuriyamaike Park (栗山池公園^?)

  a park in the foothills of Mount Chokai with a small lake, cherry trees and hydrangeas.

• Misaki Park (三崎公園^?)

  a park which snakes along the coast on the border of Yamagata and Akita Prefectures.

• Nikaho Heights (仁賀保高原, Nikaho Kōgen^?)

  a plateau in the foothills of Mount Chokai with splendid views of the area.

Events

• Fireworks

  A fireworks festival is held each year over three nights in each of the former towns of Nikaho City.

• Cod Festival (掛魚まつり, Kakeyo Matsuri^?)

  This religious event takes place in February in which cod are carried from the Konoura fishing port to a local shrine.

• Akita Triathlon Bashō's Race in Kisakata (秋田トライアスロン芭蕉レ―ス象潟大会^?)

  one of the top triathlon events in the Japanese calendar.

• Mount Chōkai MTB Race (鳥海山グルッと一周MTBサイクリング^?)

  a tough but fun mountain bike race around the base of Mount Chōkai.

Mount Chōkai

Mount Chōkai 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 Tōhoku 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 Yurihonjō, Akita, north of Nikaho. The other, in Nikaho, starts at the Nakajima parking area. A one-way hike from the Nakajima commonly takes 4 hours and offers outstanding views of the Japan Sea coast and the lush greenery of the Nikaho area.

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

• Sake (Rice wine)

  There is one independent rice wine brewery in Nikaho: Hiraizumi (平泉^?)

• Hatahata Zushi (はたはたずし^?)

  a local sushi of raw hatahata fish.

• Oysters & abalone

  the coastline of Nikaho is renowned for its oysters and abalone.

• Karintō

  a local brown sugar-coated candy.

• Chōjin Neiger (超人ネイガー^?)

  a superhero character which was born in Nikaho.

Sporting Achievement

• Intercity Baseball Tournament (2006)

  Nikaho (represented by TDK) won the 2006 national Intercity Baseball Tournament in Tokyo

• JFL Soccer League

  TDK won promotion to the third tier of Japanese football - the Japan Football League - in 2007. They play their home games at Nikaho.

Famous people from Nikaho

• Nobuo Shirase (白瀬矗^?) , an Antarctic explorer who led an expedition to the South Pole in 1910 on the Kainan Maru.
• Kenzō Saitō (齋藤憲三^?) , the founder of TDK.

Transportation

Rail

• East Japan Railway Company
  • Uetsu Main Line: Kosagawa; Kamihama; Kisakata; Konoura; Nikaho

Road

• Expressways
  • Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway

• National Highways (Ordinary)
  • Japan National Route 7

Twin Cities

Nikaho is a sister city with Shawnee, Oklahoma and Anacortes, Washington (both United States).

Also, the Konoura area of Nikaho has a strong relationship with Christchurch in New Zealand because of Shirase Nobu's voyage to Antarctica.

External links

Media related to Nikaho, Akita at Wikimedia Commons

• Nikaho official website (Japanese)