Kitakami, Japan
北上市
Kitakami is a town of 93,045 people in Iwate, Japan, founded in April 1, 1954.
Why visit Kitakami
Townapedia lists 17 museums and landmarks, 59 parks and trails, 249 places to eat, 21 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Fuji University, Ayaorishinden Site, Hatten Site and 北上市立公園展勝地.
Weather in Kitakami
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Kitakami
Kitakami (北上市, Kitakami-shi) is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 92,311, and a population density of 210 persons per km2 in 37,085 households. The total area of the city is 437.55 square kilometres (168.94 sq mi). The city is famous for the sakura that bloom in Tenshochi Park.
From the Wikipedia article Kitakami, Iwate (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do11
Museums and landmarks17
Ayaorishinden Site
Monument and historic site · 16.1 km
Ruins of a Jōmon period settlement in Tōno, Japan
Hatten Site
Monument and historic site · 6.2 km
Jōmon period archaeological site in Kitakami, Tōhoku, Japan
Kabayama Site
Monument and historic site · 4.8 km
Archaeological site in Kitakami, Iwate, Japan
5 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds59
_1.jpg){kind=link}
47 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes249
Big Boy
Restaurant · Western, Japanese · 1.4 km
10, 北上市
Mo-Su 11:00-24:00
237 more on the map.
History
The area of present-day Kitakami was part of ancient Mutsu Province, and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period by the Emishi people. The area was a stronghold for the Emishi chieftain Aterui until his death at the hands of Sakanoue Tamuramaro. During the later portion of the Heian period, the area was ruled by the Abe clan, and became a battleground during the Former Nine Years War. The Abe were followed by the Northern Fujiwara clan. During the Sengoku period, the area came under the control of the Nanbu clan. The area was part of Morioka Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate, with the exception of two villages on its southeastern border, which were under Sendai Domain.
The town of Kurosawajiri was established by the Meiji period creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1891. The modern city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1954, by the merger of the town of Kurosawajiri, with the villages of Iitoyo, Futako, Saraki, Oniyanai, Aisari and Fukuoka. On April 1, 1991 Kitakami absorbed the neighboring village of Ezuriko and town of Waga (both from Waga District).
On September 13, 2023, The DLC of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, called The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, was released, including a setting based on Kitakami.
From the History section of Kitakami, Iwate on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay21
Churches and places of worship33
Shopping34
Gas and EV charging21
Schools, colleges and libraries44
Healthcare64
Map of Kitakami
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hanamaki Airport (HNA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 km away.
- Kanegasaki 9 km south, about 9 min by car
- Ōshū 17 km south, about 17 min by car
- Mizusawa 17 km south, about 17 min by car
- Tōno 36 km east, about 36 min by car
- Yahaba 37 km north, about 37 min by car
- Ichinoseki 41 km south, about 41 min by car
- Morioka 46 km north, about 46 min by car
- Shizukuishi 47 km north, about 47 min by car
- Rokugō 51 km west, about 51 min by car
- Daisen 57 km west, about 57 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Sakura Hall (Kitakami City) 1, Ebiebi2, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kitakami Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Suikotei, CC BY 4.0
- JP-Network Kitakami, Vanquish0, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kitakami sta03s3872, 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kitakami sta06s3200, 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kitakami sta08s3200, 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kitakami Ekimae Post office, Suikotei, CC BY 4.0
- Kitakami Shinkin Bank Head Office & Kitakami Ekimae Branch 20250427, Suikotei, CC BY 4.0
- Kitakami Tourist Information Center ACCESS, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CLASO Place Kitakami, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bank of Iwate 016-Kitakami branch & 086-Kitakami Ekimae branch & 099-Kitakami-Higashi branch, Suikotei, CC BY 4.0
- Shinkansen arriving in Kitakami (2446570801), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Shrine near Kitakami station (2446567647), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Shrine near Kitakami station (2447394142), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- American World (Kitakami) 20260517d, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
- American World (Kitakami) 20260517a, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
- American World (Kitakami) 20260517c, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
- American World (Kitakami) 20260517b, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kitakami City Chuo Library, Suikotei, CC BY 4.0
- 北上展勝地 (Kitakami Tensho-chi Park) 01 May, 2012 - panoramio, Hiroaki Kaneko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Iwate Prefectural Road Route 112 (Kitakami Station Line) at Odori 4-chome, Kitakami City, 小石川人晃, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kitakami tenshouchi park - panoramio, MAKIKO OMOKAWA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kitakami tenshouchi park - panoramio - MAKIKO OMOKAWA, MAKIKO OMOKAWA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tenshochi Park, Kitakami (2446542549), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kitakami Tenshochi (2621671261), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kitakami (2446546109), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Koinobori in Kitakami (2447385598), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kitakami (2447356596), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Koinobori (carp banners) across the Kitakamigawa river in Kitakami, Iwate pref, northen Japan. The cherry trees of Tenshochi Park are in the background. (2446557299), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kitakami (2446544517), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kitakami (2447363380), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kitakami (2446518847), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fuji University 2, 国土地理院, CC BY 4.0
- 樺山遺跡, 小池 隆, CC BY 3.0
- 021michinoku folk village3200, 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tenshochi Park, Gribeco, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 990michinoku folk village3200, 663highland, CC BY 2.5
- Isawa Castle-2, Saigen Jiro, CC0
- Iwate Prefectural Chubu Hospital, at Kitakami city, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, Mj-bird, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Honden Toriyagasaki,Hanamaki, Ty19080914, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Iwayado Highschool, Yauchi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Senshu University Kitakami High School,, Mj-bird, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 日本現代詩歌文学館 - panoramio, heriheri, CC BY 3.0
- American World (Kitakami) 20260517e, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_20260517d.jpg){kind=link}
_20260517a.jpg){kind=link}
_20260517c.jpg){kind=link}
_20260517b.jpg){kind=link}
_01_May,_2012_-_panoramio.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Odori_4-chome,_Kitakami_City.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_across_the_Kitakamigawa_river_in_Kitakami,_Iwate_pref,_northen_Japan._The_cherry_trees_of_Tenshochi_Park_are_in_the_background._(2446557299).jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_20260517e.jpg){kind=link}
Page built November 5, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.