City history and overview

The city of Kitakami is located in central Iwate, in the middle of the Kitakami valley. It is blessed with a rich natural environment, where the Kitakami and Waga Rivers converge, opening into a beautiful, fertile rural area with the Ou Mountains to the west and the Kitakami Mountains stretching out to the east.

Kitakami has long functioned as a lively hub for transportation and the traffic of goods. As the crossroads of northern the Tohoku region, Kitakami further improves the convenience of transportation, being host to a traffic network that includes the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, the Tohoku Expressway, and the Trans-Tohoku Akita Expressway.

Kitakami leads in the prefecture in the number of manufacturing companies, the amount of manufactured goods shipped, and the amount of agricultural goods produced, attracting attention as a vigorous city with an excellent balance between agriculture and manufacturing.

City Symbol

The symbol was designed to show a vibrant expression of the character “kita” in the name of Kitakami. It embraces our wish for the growth of Kitakami, surrounded by water and greenery.

City Flower “White Lily”

The white lily symbolizes the growth of our city with its clean beauty and strong life force. It is also mentioned in the poem “Kitakami Serenade” and is ideal for the image of Kitami.

City Bird “Gray Wagtail”

The “Gray Wagtail” bird loves pure flowing water. We wish to protect the natural environment so that these birds will be able to inhabit this area forever.

City Tree “Cherry Blossom Tree”

Ornamental cherry blossom trees can be seen throughout the city and the local residents are very familiar with them. In the spring, roughly 10,000 cherry blossom trees that bloom in Kitakami Tenshochi Park are a symbol of the city.

Industry

Located in the center of the vast Kitakami Plains, Kitakami is engaged in the production of various foods, including rice, vegetables, and cattle, and plays an important role as a base of production in Iwate. The prefecture takes pride in its position as a hub of food production. Additionally, Kitakami works in unison with Iwate’s biotechnology research and agricultural research centers, introducing biotechnology and advancing research in environmentally safe agriculture, developing agriculture with advanced technology.

Kitakami was one of the first cities in Iwate to create an industrial park and invite businesses from outside. As a result, Kitakami is developing as a city with an industrial accumulation that is now the best in the prefecture with companies operating in a wide variety of fields including semiconductors, automobiles, machinery, pulp, food products, and pharmaceuticals products.

Agriculture

The volume of agricultural production in Kitakami is among the best in Iwate, engaging in efficient agricultural methods that suit the conditions of the region. Taro potatoes (specifically called Futago Satoimo here), green asparagus, apples, and soybeans are some of the local specialties. Among these, Kitakami provides more Futago Satoimo and asparagus than anywhere else in Iwate. The Futago Satoimo are used in a new local specialty called the “Kitakami Croquette”. The “Kitakami Beef” (brand name beef) came about as a result of the enthusiasm of cattle farmers and advanced fattening technology. With the added blessing of the natural environment, the city is expanding in sales as beef of the highest quality in Japan.

Manufacturing

Through proactive efforts to welcome companies, Kitakami has become a prominent industrial center in the Tohoku region, with some of the highest numbers in the prefecture for shipping of manufactured products, added value products, and number of employees.

Based on the new “Kitakami Industrial Promotion Plan” in the fiscal year of 2011, we have worked to invite various businesses; to assist small and medium sized companies improve their technology levels and enter into new fields. Personnel cooperate with related organizations to create an educational environment for children and company workers.

Sister Cities Friendship Cities

These are our sister cities and friendship cities.

Concord City, California, U.S.

Concord is a commercial city located in the Bay Area and it has a population of about 120,000. A Doctor of Engineering from Kitakami was acquainted with a president of the Concord Cable TV, and then they developed their relations into an active exchange between the two cities. By having many cultural and environmental similarities in both cities, Kitakami and Concord officially affiliated a sister city relationship in 1974. Kitakami has been inviting many ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) from Concord for many years. They teach at elementary and junior high schools in Kitakami. Additionally, we strengthen our mutual exchanges in both local communities by holding big anniversary events alternately every five years.

Sanmenxia, Henan Province, China

Sanmenxia is a big city where industry and agriculture are developed. Its population is about 2,280,000 inhabitants. The Japan-China Friendship Association was inaugurated in 1978 in Kitakami City. Kitakami and Sanmenxia have continued their mutual cooperation, and we were established as a friendship city relationship in 1985.

In the past, Kitakami had hosted apple farming trainees from Sanmenxia. In addition, we have held exchange programs such as mutual visits by sports groups and citizens.

Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture

Surrounded by coral reefs, the city of Ishigaki sits in the southernmost point of Japan with a population of 50,000. Tourism and agriculture are the main industries. In 1993, Iwate prefecture experienced a lack of seed rice for cultivation due to the low temperatures in that year. The vice-governor of Iwate, who was from Kitakami at that time, requested support from Ishigaki City. As a result, the “Kakehashi (a bridge between two cities) Exchange” began, and they became friendship cities in 2014. Kitakami and Ishigaki have had mutual participation in the Ishigaki Island Marathon and the Kitakami Marathon competitions.

Shibata Town, Miyagi Prefecture

Shibata Town was a castle town during the Edo Period. It is the biggest town in the Tohoku region with a population of about 40,000 people. “Funaoka Joshi Koen”(Funaoka Castle Ruin Park) is well-known as a cherry blossom viewing spot. In recent years, Shibata Town has evolved as a satellite city of Sendai, and an industrial park has been developed. Both cities are geographically similar, and they have a commonality as inland industrial cities, thereby becoming sister cities in 1980. There is also a historical connection. Harada Kai’s feudal retainer of Sendai Domain was living at Kuchinai in Kitakami.

Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture

Nagareyama City is located in northwest part of Chiba Prefecture with a population of 200,000 inhabitants and it is a calm residential city surrounded by a lot of greenery.

The mottos for this city include such phrases as, “The closest forest town from the urban center.” And “Nagareyama City, a great place to be a mother.” These mottoes were made to promote the city and become more active in child-raising.

Kitakami City has been interacting with Nagareyama since 1985 by sharing local specialties such as apples, taro potatoes (Satoimo) and sending folklore dance groups called Onikembai. In 2020, Nagareyama City and Kitakami City officially established a sister-city relationship.