Sakutō, Okayama

Sakutō (作東町, Sakutō-chō) was a town located in Aida District, Okayama Prefecture, Japan.

Sakutō 作東町
Former municipality
Former Sakutō town hall
Sakutō Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°1′16.3″N 134°13′52.6″E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūgoku
Prefecture	Okayama Prefecture
District	Aida
Merged	March 31, 2005 (now part of Mimasaka)
Area
• Total	109.03 km2 (42.10 sq mi)
Population  (2003)
• Total	7,577
• Density	69.49/km2 (180.0/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
Symbols
Flower	Cherry blossom
Tree	Maple

Population

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 7,577 and a density of 69.49 persons per km². The total area was 109.03 km².

History

On March 31, 2005, Sakutō, along with the towns of Mimasaka (former), Aida and Ōhara, the village of Higashiawakura (all from Aida District), and the town of Katsuta (from Katsuta District), was merged to create the city of Mimasaka.^[1][2]

Geography

Adjoining municipalities

• Okayama Prefecture
  • Mimasaka (town)
  • Ōhara
  • Aida
  • Katsuta
  • Bizen
• Hyōgo Prefecture
  • Sayō
  • Kōzuki

Education

• Emi Elementary School
• Doi Elementary School
• Awai Elementary School
• Yoshino Elementary School (Closure in 2008)
• Sakutō Junior High School
• Okayama Prefectural Emi Commercial High School (Closure in 2009)

Sister cities

• Saint-Valentin (France)
• Sankt Valentin (Austria)
• Saint-Valentin (Canada)

Transportation

Railways

• West Japan Railway Company
  • Kishin Line
    • Mimasaka-Doi Station - Mimasaka-Emi Station

Road

• Expressways:
  • Chūgoku Expressway
    • Sakutō Interchange
• National highways:
  • Route 179
  • Route 429
• Prefectural roads:
  • Okayama Prefectural Route 5 (Sakutō-Ōhara)
  • Okayama Prefectural Route 46 (Wake-Sasame-Sakutō)
  • Okayama Prefectural Route 161 (Ichiba-Sayō)
  • Okayama Prefectural Route 358 (Sagisu-Mizoguchi)
  • Okayama Prefectural Route 360 (Manzen-Mimasaka)
  • Okayama Prefectural Route 365 (Kamifukuhara-Sayō)
  • Okayama Prefectural Route 479 (Seto-Munakake)

Notable places and events

• Valentine Park Sakutō