Country Japan Operated by Yamagata Prefecture Land area 662.5 hectares Address Japan | Location Sakata Type of harbor Seaport Annual cargo tonnage 3,152,342t | |
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The Port of Sakata (酒田港, Sakata-kō) is a seaport on the Sea of Japan coast of Yamagata Prefecture, to the west of the city center of Sakata at the mouth of the Mogami River in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshū, Japan. It is classified as a Major Port (重要港湾, Jūyō-kōwan) and as a Special Port (特定港, Tokutei-kō) by the Japanese government.
History
A port existed at the mouth of the Mogami River since at least the Kamakura period. It developed during the Edo period, as one of the most important ports of call on the Kitamaebune route of coastal trade from Osaka to Hokkaido, rivaling Sakai in revenue. Much of the trade was under the control of the local Homma clan, which became the largest landowners in Japan during Meiji period. During the Meiji period, the port facilities were gradually improved and enlarged, with international shipping routes established by Nippon Yusen in 1885, and a lighthouse established in 1895. The port received the designation of “major port” from the Japanese government on January 19, 1951. In 1957, Sakata was designated a port for the import of timber. The first timber ship from the Soviet Union called on the port in 1958. A 10,000 ton quay was completed in 1962. In 1966, development began on Sakata North Port, which opened in 1974. A thermal power plant was completed in 1977, with the part of the power for an aluminum mill by Sumitomo Light Metals nearby. The aluminum mill closed in 1982. In 2004, Japan’s first offshore wind power plant started operation off of Sakata North Port.