Oga, Akita


Oga is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan., the city has an estimated population of 26,930 in 12,880 households, and a population density of 110 persons per km2. The total area of the city is.

Geography

Oga is located on the Oga Peninsula in northwestern Akita Prefecture, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the north, west and south. Much of the city is within the boundaries of the Oga Quasi-National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

Per Japanese census data, the population of Oga peaked in the 1950s and has been in decline since then.

Climate

Different from the rest of the prefecture, the climate is an isolated humid subtropical by direct influence of the Tsushima Current, being the most northern city of the Asian continent with this categorization according to the 0 °C isotherm. Or the southern edge of the hot-summer humid continental by the normal of the Japan Meteorological Agency. Winters are mild and summers although the climatic type are warm but not hot. The extremes range from -14 to 35 °C, a relatively low thermal amplitude to a place at 39 °N and to the east near large land masses.

History

The area of present-day Oga was part of ancient Dewa Province, dominated by the Satake clan during the Edo period, who ruled Kubota Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. The village of Funagawa was established with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889 and became the town of Funagawaminato on October 24, 1894. The city of Oga was created on March 31, 1954, by the merger of the town of Funagawaminato with the four neighboring villages of Wakimoto, Iriai, Ogatanaka and Toga.
On March 22, 2005, the town of Wakami was merged into Oga.

Government

Oga has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members. The city contributes one member to the Akita Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Akita District 2 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Oga is based on commercial fishing, tourism and agriculture.

Education

Oga has six public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Akita Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

- Oga Line

Bus

Oga is famous for its Namahage Festival, a traditional event held on New Year's Eve in which groups of men dressed as ogre-like deities called "Namahage" with masks and straw raincoats visit houses at night.

Sister city relations