Tenno

Tennō (天王町; -machi) was a town in western Akita Prefecture which merged with two other towns in March 2005 to form Katagami.

History

Tennō has existed as an independent municipality since 1889 when Tennō Village was created. In 1961, it was upgraded into a town. In 2005, the town disappeared in the form of an independent municipality and joined Itagawa (飯田川町) and Showa (昭和町) to form Katagami.

Location and Population

Tennō is located in western Katagami, along the Sea of Japan coast. The area is roughly 41.5km² and the population in 2005 was 22,142, giving the former town a population density of 533.4 persons per km². Between 2000 and 2005, Tennō's population increased 3.2 percent. This was the only population increase for the five year period recorded among all former and current municipalities in Akita Prefecture. Tennō is also the location of the Prefectural Education Center, the venue for JET conferences.

Background

With less than a half hour drive to the kencho, Tennō serves as a comfortable bedroom community for Akita City. Tennō also serves as an important through way to the northern parts of Akita, as the Ou Line and Route 7 both run through Tennō. Additionally, Tennō has one of the prefecture's busiest beaches in summer.

Sightseeing Destinations

• Detohama (出戸浜).
• Tennō Greenland] (天王グリーンランド). Set around Kurara Onsen and Tennō Tower is a park (mostly just a parking lot) which isn't much during the day, but at night can often turn into the liveliest nampa spot in the prefecture.
• Akita Park Art Museum (秋田パーク美術館).
• Akita Herb Museum (秋田薬用植物館).

Onsen

• Kurara Onsen (くらら温泉). Located at the Tennō Greenland park. Busy onsen, but very pleasant.
  〒010-0201 秋田県潟上市天王字江川上谷地109-2 (map) ☎ 018-878-6588 Website (Japanese)

Restaurants

Local Restaurants

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 Tennō Greenlands. It offers a warm atomosphere, 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 knowledgable 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 Tennō.

Hotels

For reasons unbeknownst to me, Tennō has one of the largest arrays of love hotels in Akita. If in search of one, go north out of Akita City and near Oiwake Station take the fork left (northwest bound towards the Oga Peninsula) on the Funakawa Main Road past the Prefectural Education Center. You'll find a dozen or so love hotels safely located just beyond the high school.