The Port of Akita lies on the northwestern shores of the Sea of Japan in Honsu, Japan’s main and largest island. The area holds many volcanoes, and the plateau is blessed with a covering of white fir trees and alpine plants. Fissures release steam, boiling mud, and smoke. While the city was officially founded in 1889, it has been an important city in the northern regions of Japan since medieval times. In 2007, over 330 thousand people lived in the Port of Akita.

The Port of Akita is near Japan’s most important oil fields, and oil refining is a major industry for the city. Other industries include metal working and silk textiles. Lumbering and timber are also important to the Prefecture’s economy. The area around the Port of Akita includes rich deposits of copper, sulfur, lead, and manganese.

The City of Akita was incorporated in 1889. In 1902, the Japan National Railway opened the Akita Station. Trolley services were introduced in 1931. In 1941, the Port of Akita was merged with the towns and villages of TsuchizakiMinato, Terauchi, Hiroyamada, and Araya. Another 12 villages were merged into the Port of Akita in 1954.

World War II was devastating for the Port of Akita. Over 130 people were killed in a B-29 air raid on in 1945, the last bombing mission of World War II, just hours before Japan announced its surrender.

In 1973, the city established a regulation to make the Port of Akita a green city. In 1975, the Akita Central Wholesale Market was opened, and the new Akita Airport began operations in 1981.

In August 1982, Akita City, Kawabe town, and Yuwa town were designated as a technopolis. In 1997, the Port of Akita became a “core city,” recognizing its over-300 thousand population.

In 1999, regular ferry service began. In 2001, the Port of Akita played host to the World Games, and the city celebrated its 400th anniversary and the beginning of the Kubota Castle town.

In 2005, the Port of Akita was combined with Kawabe and Yūwa to form the new City of Akita.

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