Ogachi County
Location
Ogachi County is located in southern Akita Prefecture in two separate non-bordering areas.
History
Ogachi County (雄勝郡) is a county in southern Akita prefecture. Of eight, Ogachi is one of the three remaining counties, including Yamamoto County (山本郡) and Senboku County (仙北郡), that made up Ugo Province (羽後国) which later became Akita prefecture.
In 1889 (明治22年) The county established its office in Yuzawa Town and was made up of the following municipalities:
- Yuzawa Town (湯沢町), Iwasaki Town (岩崎町), Benten Village (弁天村), Hanuno Village (幡野村), Mitsunoseki Village (三関村), Sukawa Village (須川村), Yamada Village (山田村), Minase Village (皆瀬村), Inaniwa Village (稲庭村),Kawadzura Village (川連村), Komagata Village (駒形村), Mitsunashi Village (三梨村), Yokobori Village (横堀村),Innai Village (院内村), Ono Village (小野村), and Akinomiya Village (秋ノ宮村)all now merged into Yuzawa City.
- Nishimonai Town (西馬音内町),Miwa Village (三輪村),Motonishi Village (元西馬音内村), Niinari Village (新成村), Tashiro Village (田代村),and Sendou Village (仙道村) all now merged into Ugo Town (羽後町）
- Higashinaruse Village (東成瀬村)
- Meiji Village (明治村)Now separated amongst Yokote's Omonogawa and Ugo Towns (雄物川町,羽後町）
- Nishinaruse Village (西成瀬村) Now Yokote's Masuda Town (増田町)
Over the next 110 years the county slowly to combined to form larger cities and towns. The last merger took place in 2005, when Ogachi Town, Inakawa Town, and Minase Village merged into Yuzawa City.
Current Status
The only two remaining municipalities in Ogachi County are Ugo and Higashinaruse. The fact that the village and town do not border each other has allowed them to establish municipal independence, while avoiding being absorbed into Yuzawa or Yokote.
