Phone number 0183-62-2111 Area 203.6 km² | Website Official website Population 15,948 (Jun 2013) Local time Friday 2:42 AM | |
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Weather 2°C, Wind W at 18 km/h, 91% Humidity Points of interest Ugomachi Rekishiminzoku Museum, Nanamagari Pass, Tenma Museum, Miwa Shrine, Mt. Taihei |
Ugo (羽後町, Ugo-machi) is a town located in Ogachi District, Akita Prefecture, Japan. As of June 2013, the town had an estimated population of 15,948 and a population density of 69.1 persons per km2. The total area was 230.75 km2.
Contents
- Map of Ugo Ogachi District Akita Prefecture Japan
- Geography
- Neighboring municipalities
- Areas
- Climate
- History
- Economy
- Highway
- Education
- Places of worship
- Local attractions
- Local festivals and events
- Nishimonai Bon Odori
- Yukitopia
- Noted people from Ugo
- References
Map of Ugo, Ogachi District, Akita Prefecture, Japan
Geography
Ugo is located in southern Akita Prefecture, on the Ogachi Plain (雄勝平野, Ogachi heiya), which is bordered by the Dewa mountains (出羽山脈, Dewa sanmyaku) to the west and the Ou mountains (奥羽山脈, Ou sanmyaku) to the east.
Neighboring municipalities
Areas
Ugo is divided into seven distinct areas:
Climate
Ugo has a Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to October. Ugo is noted for its heavy snows with accumulated snows exceeding two meters in most winters.
History
The area of present-day Ugo was part of ancient Ugo Province, dominated by the Satake clan during the Edo period, who ruled Kubota Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. The modern town of Ugo was established on April 1, 1955 by the merger of the town of Nishimonai with six surrounding villages, all from Ogachi District.
Economy
The economy of Ugo is based on agriculture, primarily rice cultivation.
Ugo is location of the OTC (Orient Technical Center). It is a factory of luxury watches. OTC owned by Orient Watch Co., Ltd.
Highway
Education
Places of worship
Local attractions
Local festivals and events
Ugo is well known in Akita for the annual Bon Dance in Nishimonai.
Nishimonai Bon Odori
The Nishimonai Bon Odori (西馬音内盆踊り) is held every year from August 16–18. It is a symbolic dance to show proper respect and gratefulness to one's deceased ancestors. It is ranked as one of the top 3 bon dances in Japan. It began as a harvest dance in Nishimonai in about 1280. In 1601 the lord of Nishimonai burned his castle after a defeat and the people danced among the ruins to remember their lord. These two dances were merged in the late 18th century to form the dance's last incarnation which (despite attempts to stop it in the early 20th century) continues to this day. It is the biggest festival of the year, drawing people from all over Tohoku, and the country at large
The week before the festival all of the shops on the Bon Odori street open up and display traditional hanui (端縫) patchwork kimono, amigasa (あみがさ) hats and hikosa zukin (彦三頭巾) masks.
The shops and food stands open at around 5. The dance begins as the sun goes down and continues until about 11.
Yukitopia
The annual Yukitopia Festival (ゆきとぴあ七曲, Yukitopia nanamagari) takes place on the last Saturday and Sunday of January. A horse-drawn carriage follows set course through Nishimonai, Motonishi, and all the way up the Nana Magari mountain road, crossing into Tashiro. The road is lined with small lanterns made from snow.