Article

07208 ／きたかたし

Kitakata City

Under a thatched roof, 44 thick pillars.

Kumano Shrine Nagatoko, Shingu

Photo by Qwert1234 (Public domain)

01 ／ Rural market and brewing town

The town was laid out in Tensho 10 (1582),when a periodic market moved in from nearby villages.

Otazuki lies in the central urban area of Kitakata. In the early modern period sake, miso and soy sauce brewing flourished, and it grew into the trading center of northern Aizu. Its roads, waterways and lot layout, in place by the end of the Edo period, are well preserved, with storehouses lining the streets.

Town laid out in Tensho 10 (1582)
National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (selected 2018)
Area about 15.5 hectares

02 ／ Railway bridge

The piers are 25 m high and built of cut stone.Of its 16 spans, only the seventh is a truss.

Railway bridge in Kitakata City — Photo by 手練 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

This bridge on the JR Ban-etsu West Line lies between Kitakata and Yamato stations. It was made by the American Bridge company in 1908 (Meiji 41) and erected in 1910. At 444.6 m, it is the longest bridge on the line. Only the seventh span is a through truss; the rest are deck plate girders.

444.6 m long, 16 spans
Piers 25 m high, cut stone
Erected in 1910 (Meiji 43)

03 ／ Stencil paper

36,925 dyeing stencils from one familywere donated to Kitakata City.

In 1859 (Ansei 6) the family was licensed by the Aizu domain as dealers in dyeing stencils. In a land rich in good washi and persimmon tannin, the trade peaked from the late Edo period to the Taisho era and spread across the Tohoku region. The city notes that the stencils are said to reveal the kimono patterns and fashions of Tohoku.

36,925 stencils and 565 original designs
Licensed as stencil dealers in 1859 (Ansei 6)
Prefectural Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property (designated 2003)

Kitakata City from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot August–September 2013)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

From Kitakata Station, the city hall is about a 15-minute walk.

about 40,000 people

For its city hall, the city's access page gives the train route as "about a 15-minute walk (1.2 km) from JR Ban-etsu West Line Kitakata Station." The city was formed on January 4, 2006 by the merger of five municipalities, including the former Kitakata City. The city notes that, lying north of Aizu, the area was long called "Kitakata" (the northern side).

People living here: 44,760people
Area: 554.63km²
Households: 16,049households
Rent (average for rentals): 37,271yen
Healthcare: 6 hospitals ／ 27 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Population from 2010 onward (municipal boundary changed).2006-01-04 に新設合併（熱塩加納村・塩川町・山都町・高郷村）。2010年調査から市域が変わっている。

Children waiting for childcare: —19 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 11 municipalities across 2 prefectures.

Kitakata City in Japan37.651°N 139.875°E

Territory of Kitakata City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

30.8km

Fukushima Prefecture: Nishiaizu Town, Aizubange Town, Kitashiobara Village, Bandai Town, Yugawa Village, Aizuwakamatsu City
Yamagata Prefecture: Iide Town, Yonezawa City, Oguni Town
Niigata Prefecture: Aga Town, Shibata City

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Kitakata City isthis kind of town.

01The Nagatoko of Kumano Shrine is the worship hall of Shingu Kumano Shrine in Keitoku-machi, Kitakata. Its thatched hipped roof sits on 44 thick pillars, and it is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property
02Otazuki, laid out in 1582, is a merchant and brewing town and a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. A bridge on the Ban-etsu West Line is 444.6 m long with 16 spans
03A family's 36,925 dyeing stencils were donated to Kitakata City and are a prefectural Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property. The city was formed on January 4, 2006 by the merger of five municipalities

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kitakata City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes