Katagami

Katagami City
潟上市
Katagami in Akita
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Akita
Physical characteristics
Area	97.96 km²
Population	34,001 (as of 2012-04-01)
Symbols
Tree	Black pine (黒松)
Flower	Rose (バラ)
Bird	Heron (シラサギ)
City Hall
Address	47-100 Tennō aza, Kamiegawa, Katagami Akita 010-0201 (〒010-0201 秋田県潟上市 天王字棒沼台226番地1)
Telephone	☎ 0183-62-2111
Website	Homepage

Rice fields in Showa, Katagami City

Katagami (潟上市; -shi) is a small city in western Akita Prefecture. It is a suburb of Akita City. It was formed in March 2005 with the consolidation of the three former towns, Tenno Town (天王町; -machi), Iitagawa Town (飯田川町; -machi), and Showa Town (昭和町; -machi). Today, the names of the three former towns are frequently used without the -machi (町) suffix to identify the regions of Katagami City, but are no longer independent towns in the political sense.

Katagami is home to the Prefectural Education Center, a facility frequently used for prefecture-wide conferences.

Towns

• Tenno (天王)
• Iitagawa (飯田川)
• Showa (昭和)

Description

Katagami is located in western Akita Prefecture, southeast of the Oga Peninsula, south of the Hachirōgata Lagoon, west of Ikawa, and north of Akita City. The name Katagami is a combination of the kanji 潟 (kata), meaning lagoon, and 上 (ue), meaning above. This is because the city's elevation is above the adjacent Hachirōgata Lagoon, one of the few points in Japan below sea level. The area of Katagami City is 97.96 km². The population is estimated in 2008 to be 35,383, giving the city a population density of 361 persons per km².

In the 2005 census, Katagami's town of Tenno was the only current or former municipality in Akita Prefecture to actually show a population increase. This is due in part to the fact the former town never zoned residential districts. As a result, Tenno is lined with many narrow, winding streets in between concrete walls and houses in very close proximity. The housing situation has made the area vulnerable to the transmission of residential fires and frequent traffic jams.

Festivals

Tenno

• Tenno Greenland Festival (天王グリーンランド祭り), August 30-31 (2008). Family festival with character shows followed up by fireworks.

• Toko-Yasaka Shrine Festival (東湖八坂神社例大祭), annually held on July 7. http://www.dydo-matsuri.com/english/list/2017/touko/

• Katagami City Sky Lantern Festival (潟上スカイランタンフェスティバル), March 24, 2018 7pm. This is a quaint evening event featuring a fire performance, balloons with LED lights, and lanterns lighting up the night's sky at the local Tenno Greenland park.

Iitagawa

• Crane Dance Festival (鷺舞まつり), August 2-3 (2008), 4:30-5:30. In front of the Iitagawa government office building (庁舎＝chousha).

Showa

• Hachiro Festival (八郎祭り), August 16, 2:30. Small local festival which celebrates the migration of the dragon-god of Lake Hachiro to his lover at Lake Tazawako. In front of the Showa government office building (庁舎＝chousha).

Schools

Junior high schools

• Tennō Junior High School
• Tennō Minami Junior High School
• Ujō Junior High School

Elementary schools

• Ōtoyo Elementary School
• Iitagawa Elementary School
• Tennō Elementary School
• Deto Elementary School
• Tōko Elementary School
• Oiwake Elementary School

Sightseeing

Springtime in Motokiyama Park

• Motokiyama Park (元木山公園) map. Has a Baseball field, track, tennis courts, and is beautiful for cherry blossom viewing in the spring.

Onsen

• Tenno Onsen Kurara (天王温泉くらら). 秋田県潟上市天王字江川上谷地109-2 Map. TEL.018-878-9877. Nice modern facility in the same area as the Tenno Greenland Tower.
• Taya no Yu (田屋の湯). 秋田県潟上市昭和豊川竜毛郷境29 018-877-5381

Restaurants

• Waffle Cafe SIGN (ワッフルカフェ サイン) This is my favorite restaurant in Katagami City. It's a beautiful cafe located in Tenno area that features incredibly delicious sweet and savory waffles among other dishes, such as, pasta and salad. They also have coffee, smoothies, fresh squeezed fruit juices, milk, and tea. Portions are small, but well worth the money. My recommendation is the honey mustard chicken waffles with the side salad, and pieces of plain waffles to dip in a wonderful cream sauce they make. It's perfect when you order it with the dessert set. Meal prices range between 1000-2000 yen. Has both indoor and outdoor seating. https://tabelog.com/en/akita/A0503/A050302/5004884/dtlphotolst/1/3/?smp=s

HOURS:[weekdays]10:30～17:00(last order 4:30)[weekends & holidays]10:30～17:30(last order 17:00) Open on Sundays ADDRESS: 秋田県 潟上市 天王 字鶴沼台62-1 1,130 meters from Kami-Futada JR Station; down the street from Tenno Greenland Park. TEL/Reservations: 018-893-5143 (+81-18-893-5143)

• Patisserie Parterre (パティスリー・パルテール) A beautiful, modern restaurant located in Showa area that features its delicious seasonal fresh fruit tarts. There is a variety of savory dishes also offered on their menu, including both traditional Japanese and Western fare. https://www.patisserie-parterre.jp/

HOURS: Open Monday, Wednesday - Sunday from 10am - 6pm (CLOSED ON TUESDAYS). ADDRESS: 〒018-1504 秋田県潟上市飯田川飯塚字家ノ越４７−３ TEL: 018-893-5085

• Tamago no Ki (たまごの樹) A small chain restaurant and bakery in Oiwake area that makes everything with fresh and delicious eggs. This restaurant is best known for their egg soft cream, variety of omurice dishes, egg pudding from their bakery, and fresh eggs available for purchase. http://www.tamagonoki.jp/

HOURS: Monday, Wednesday - Sunday from 10:00～18:00, Tuesday: 10:00～17:00 ADDRESS: 秋田県潟上市天王字長沼10-1 TEL: 018-853-4510　お問合せはこちらへ！

• Sato (佐藤)　Sato is an izakaiya located near Akita Nishi High School（秋田西高校）and the current Tenno ALT's house. The owner is friendly and father to one of the Tenno ALT's students, but he does not speak any English. It's a small venue, but a chill place to meet up with friends in the evening. Open until 9pm.

• Cafe Brenner (カフィ・ブレンナー). 秋田県潟上市天王江川上谷地１０６−９. Hours: 10:00-7:00 (Last Order at 6:30). Telephone & Fax: 018-878-7879. Open: Wednesday-Monday (Tuesdays Closed). Cafe Brenner is an excellent cafe not far from Tenno Greenlands. It offers a warm atmosphere, filled with the smell of coffee beans and sweets. The cafe itself offers a wide variety of coffees from all around the world and homemade sweets that are really delicious. The Master and his Wife are really friendly and knowledgeable people who are happy to talk about both coffee and sweets (in Japanese). They also sell coffee whole bean and have a roaster inside the shop.

Well worth a visit if you find yourself in Tenno.

• Jin (甚). Behind Daisan Supermarket, red sign. The original "international" izakaya for Showa ALTs!

• Taisho Sushi (大将). Near Showa Town Hall. The very bibulous master makes some narrow-minded, off-the-wall comments from time to time, but if you can take it with a grain of salt, the sushi is top notch (and the price tends to fluctuate greatly depending on how much master drank that night).

• Manmatsu (万松). 潟上市飯田川町下虻川 (right past Okubo Station). Tue-Sun: 11:00AM - 11:00PM. The best ramen, chanpon, and Chinese style restaurant in Katagami City (if not Akita). Also at least in Showa, it is famous for yakitori.

• Azumi (安澄). 秋田県潟上市昭和大久保字虻川境1　Right outside Okubo Station. Tel: 018-877-3659. Very famous soba and udon restaurant. Hikake natto （冷かけ納豆) is highly recommended, even if you're not huge on natto.

• Hana no Daichi (花の大地). Blue Messe Akita. Tel: 018-855-5587. 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM (will take reservations after 6:00 for over 5 people). Good mix of Japanese cuisine with some western fare (pizza, pasta, etc).

Shopping

• Tenno Greenland (Michi no Eki Tenno). 潟上市天王字江川上谷地 map. TEL ８７８−６５８８. A great place to buy Akita souvenirs.

External links

• Katagami official website (Japanese)