Akita

Akita, city, Japan

Akita (ä`kētä), city (1990 pop. 302,362), capital of Akita prefecture, NW Honshu, Japan, on the Sea of Japan. A producer of petroleum products and chemicals, Akito city also has a large port that exports lumber and rice. It became an important feudal town in the 8th cent., and its castle-fort (733) still stands.

Akita prefecture (1990 pop. 1,227,491), 4,503 sq mi (11,663 sq km), contains Japan's largest oil field and copper mine, in addition to deposits of sulfur, lead, and manganese. The prefecture's mountains have extensive stands of quality timber, and its fertile lowlands yield crops of rice, tobacco, and fruit. Akita (the capital), Noshiro (the chief port), Tsushisoki, and Yokote are centers of population.

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Akita, breed of dog

Akita (äkē`tə), breed of large dog developed in Japan from ancient ancestry and used originally as a hunter of such game as deer, wild boar, and bear. It stands from 20 to 27 in. (50.8–68.6 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 75 to 110 lb (34.1–49.9 kg). Its double coat consists of a thick, furry underlayer and a medium-length, harsh, straight topcoat which may be any shade of cream, brown, red, gray, black, silver, or brindle. A muscular dog with erect ears and tail curved over its back, the Akita has been used in the 20th cent. as a police and war dog and as a companion and watchdog. It is rapidly gaining popularity in the United States and is presently exhibited in the miscellaneous class at the dog shows sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. See dog.

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Akita

Breed of working dog that originated in the mountains of northern Japan. In 1931 the Japanese government designated the breed as a national treasure. It is a powerful, muscular dog with a broad head, erect pointed ears, and a large curved tail carried over the back or curled against the flank. Colours and markings vary, including all-white, brindle, and pinto. All but the white akitas bear a distinct mask (dark area around the muzzle). Males stand 26–28 in. (66–71 cm) high, females 24–26 in. (60–66 cm).

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Akita 

a prefecture in Japan, in the northwestern part of the island of Honshu. It has an area of 11,600 sq km and a population of 1.3 million (1966), of which 39 percent live in cities. Its administrative center is the city of Akita. Much of Akita is covered by the Ou and Dewa mountains; individual peaks tower over 2,000 m; hilly lowland plains predominate in the west and in the central regions.

Akita is an agrarian-industrial region in the Tohoku economic district. The extracting industry is developed. Akita is one of the main oil-refining regions of the country; there are sizable deposits of silver and lead; in the Odate region copper ore deposits are found. The main branches of manufacturing (in percentage cost figures for 1964) are woodworking (26.3), food processing (14.4), petrochemicals (8.2), and paper and pulp (6). Cultivated lands cover 137,000 hectares, of which 85 percent are irrigated rice fields (1966 crop, 528,600 tons). Akita’s livestock includes 38,300 horned cattle (including 10,000 dairy cows), 4,900 horses, 7,000 sheep, and 109,000 hogs. It has apple orchards and fisheries (catch 22,700 tons). A state reserve is located on the territory of Akita on the boundary with Aomori Prefecture (near Lake Towado).

N. A. SMIRNOV

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Akita 

a city in Japan, in northwestern Honshu Island. Administrative center of the prefecture of Akita. Population, 217,000 (1965).

Akita is situated on the lower reaches of the Omono River. The outer harbor of the city is Isuchizaki (within the prefecture of Akita since 1940), on the shore of the Sea of Japan. Akita exports lumber, oil products, and rice. Its industries include petroleum production, petrochemicals, woodworking, cellulose and paper production, electric machine construction, and the manufacture of special steels and chemical fertilizers. Akita also has handicraft industries—it produces silk fabrics and silver and golden artifacts. There is a university. The city sprang up around a fort built in the eighth century.