Hita, Ōita

Geography

Hita is located in the far west of Ōita Prefecture, and borders the neighbouring prefectures of Fukuoka, and Kumamoto. Surrounding cities include Kurume to its west, Nakatsu to the north, and Kusu to the east. Hita itself lies in a plain at the confluence of several rivers that flow west, eventually becoming the Chikugo River. The surrounding landscape is mountainous, typical of Ōita Prefecture. Due to this connection, although Hita is placed within Ōita Prefecture, it shared a deeper historical connection with Fukuoka Prefecture. The dialect used in Hita has the same characteristic to the Hichiku dialect, used in Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Saga Prefecture.

Many rivers that run through Hita join up to the Mikuma River. This river was used to distribute lumber to Kurume and Ōkawa at the end of the Edo Period but with the completion of the Yoake Dam, the use of this route stopped.

Hita is a natural basin surrounded by mountains, reaching 1000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level, while some mountains around Nakatsue, Maetsue and Kamitsue reach 1200 meters (3,937 ft) above sea level.

Climate

Hita has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The mountains around Hita cause the air to be very stagnant, causing summer to get very hot, rising above 35 °C (95 °F) often. While in winter, it gets notably cold. When it snows, snow can accumulate up to 10 centimetres (3.9 in) inside the city, while in the mountain region, it accumulates more.

The numbers of Thunderstorms are also very prominent in Hita. The precipitation rate is high, while it helps grow the Japanese Cedar and the Lever trees used in the forestry industry, it also causes landslides.

The rivers and the characteristics of the basin cause a deep fog during spring and autumn, known as “Sokogiri” (Shallow ground fog) to appear in the morning. “Sokogiri” is a very dark fog, where you can't see anything for miles.

Towns and villages

Towns and villages of note that lie within Hita's boundaries include:

For the municipal timeline of Hita, see Hita District (Japanese). Hita has shared borders with the former Hita District since 1889.

History

In 1593, Hita came under the direct control of the Toyotomi Household as the main city overseeing Kyushu. After the completion of Hinokuma castle and fortification of Nagayama castle, Hita passed from the Toyotomi household to the new Daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu and became a "Tenryo" town, in which the town was under direct control of the Tokugawa Shogunate. After the Meiji period it was known as Hita Prefecture, and after that, it was assimilated into Ōita Prefecture.

Culture

During the Edo period, Hita was modeled after Kyoto and its merchant culture, and even now, it is called "Little Kyoto". Traces of old Kyoto are apparent in the streets of Mameda. It also has a school built by Hirose Tansou, where students from all over Japan came to learn regardless of their gender or status.

Traditional crafts

Main Trade

Key industry in Hita have been forestry due to its abundant supply in the surrounding mountains. The trees planted are also given the name Hita Cedar trees and from these trees, Geta and Lacquerware have also flourished.

Recently, companies such as TDK, Kyushu Sumidenso, as well as brewery Sapporo beer and Sanwa Shurui have expanded in the area.

Train

The principal railway station of the city is Hita Station, where JR Kyushu, Kyūdai Main Line and Hitahikosan Line gathers.

The luxury Aru Ressha train was designed by Eiji Mitooka. It runs between Ōita and Hita and is in service to also revive tourism and the local economy.

Bus

There are three main bus service companies in Hita. The Hita Bus Company operates bus routes within the city and to other main cities in Kyushu, such as Ōita and Fukuoka city with Ōita Transportation Company. The Nishitetsu Bus Kurume Company operates bus routes within Fukuoka Prefecture, Saga Prefecture, to Hita. The Bus information center is located across the road from the station, which handles tickets and timetables.

Sightseeing

Hita has many places of interest to visitors. The Gion Festival Centre in Kuma-machi provides information about the history and activities of Hita's annual summer festival, and exhibits six full-sized floats which are paraded around the city during the annual Gion Festival.

From July to November, fishermen erect bamboo fish traps (ayuyana) in the Mikuma river to capture Ayu fish; which are covered in salt and grilled.

Hita also has the Sapporo Beer factory, located on a hill overlooking the city. There is a free guided tour for visitors that is followed by a free 20-minute tasting session.

The Kusano family Hina Dolls can be viewed at the oldest house in Hita during the tourist season. In the March Doll's Festival, up to 200 of the collection are on display at once.

Locations and landmarks

Hot springs

Shrines and temples

Parks

Festivals

Hita has many festivals throughout the year that attract a steady stream of visitors. Some of the most popular festivals include: