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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Shimokita District, Aomori

Shimokita District (下北郡, Shimokita-gun) is a district located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It occupies most of the northern handle of Shimokita Peninsula with the exception of Mutsu City and contains the most northern point on the island of Honshū. It is also home to the Japanese macaque, making it the northernmost natural habitat for monkeys anywhere in the world.

As of 2009, the district has an estimated population of 18,297 and a density of 33.2 persons per km. The total area was 551.08 km.

Politics

In terms of national politics, the district is represented in the Diet of Japan's House of Representatives as a part of the Aomori 1st district.

Towns and villages

The district consists of one town and three villages. The city of Mutsu was formerly part of the district.

History

Shimokita District was part of ancient Kita County (北郡, Kita-gun), established by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Edo period, the area was part of the Morioka han feudal domain of the Nanbu clan, with a daikansho located in Tanabu (now part of the city of Mutsu.

The Nanbu clan sided with the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei during the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration and were punished by the new Meiji government by loss of their northern territories. In November 1869, Kita-gun and neighboring Sannohe District became part of the newly created Tonami Domain (斗南藩, Tonami-han), a 30,000 koku holding created to resettle the dispossessed Matsudaira clan from Aizu-Wakamatsu. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Tonami Domain became Tonami Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Aomori Prefecture in September 1871.

During the early Meiji period administrative reorganization of Japan on July 22, 1878, Shimokita and Kamikita were divided from former Kita County, and Shimokita was divided into 33 villages. In the cadastral reform of April 1, 1889, the number of villages was reduced through consolidations and mergers to nine.

District Timeline

  • On January 1, 1899 - The village of Tanabu was elevated to town status.
  • On October 31, 1917 - The village of Kawauchi was elevated to town status.
  • On November 10, 1928 - The Imperial Japanese Navy port of Ōminato was elevated to town status.
  • On May 1, 1934 - The village of Ōhata was elevated to town status.
  • On November 3, 1942 - The village of Ōma was elevated to town status.
  • On September 1, 1959 - The towns of Ōminato and Tanabu merged to create the city of Ōminato-Tanabu, later renamed Mutsu.

District Background

pre-1889 April 1, 1889 1889–1949 1950–1989 1989–present present
Ōma-mura
Okudo-mura
Ōoku-mura November 3, 1942
Ōma-machi
Ōma-machi Ōma-machi Ōma
Shimofuro-mura
Ikokuma-mura
Hebiurakani-mura
Kazamaura-mura Kazamaura-mura Kazamaura-mura Kazamaura-mura Kazamaura
Sai-mura
Chogo-mura
Sai-mura Sai-mura Sai-mura Sai-mura Sai
Tanabu-mura
Sekine-mura
Okunai-mura
Nakanosawa-mura
Tanabu-mura January 1, 1901
Tanabu-machi
September 1, 1959
Ōminato-Tanabu-shi
August 1, 1960
renamed as
Mutsu-shi
Mutsu-shi Mutsu
Ōminato-mura
Ōhira-mura
Jogasawa-mura
Ōminato-mura November 10, 1928
Ōminato-machi
Kawauchi-mura
Hikawa-mura
Shukuobe-mura
Kakizaki-mura
Kawauchi-mura October 31, 1917
Kawauchi-machi
Kawauchi-machi March 14, 2005
merged into
Mutsu-shi
Ōhata-mura
Shozugawa-mura
Ōhata-mura May 1, 1934
Ōhata-machi
Ōhata-machi
Wakinosawa-mura
Ozawa-mura
Wakinosawa-mura Wakinosawa-mura Wakinosawa-mura
Ōri-mura
Mena-mura
Gamanosawa-mura
Noushi-mura
Iwaya-mura
Shikariya-mura
Shitsukari-mura
Sarugamori-mura
Odanozawa-mura
Shiranuka-mura
Sunagomata-mura
Taya-mura
Higashidōri-mura Higashidōri-mura Higashidōri-mura Higashidōri-mura Higashidōri

Recent mergers

References

  1. ^ "青森県の衆議院小選挙区の区割りについて(平成29年以降)" [About the division of Aomori Prefecture's House of Representatives single-member constituency (2017-)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 May 2020.

41°17′N 141°13′E / 41.283°N 141.217°E / 41.283; 141.217