Shimokita District

Shimokita District (下北郡, Shimokita-gun) is a district located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It occupies most of the northern handle of Shimokita Peninsula with the exception of Mutsu City and contains the most northern point on the island of Honshū. It is also home to the Japanese macaque, making it the northernmost natural habitat for monkeys anywhere in the world.

As of 2009, the district has an estimated population of 18,297 and a density of 33.2 persons per km². The total area was 551. 08 km².

The district currently consists of one town and three villages. The city of Mutsu was formerly part of the district.

Shimokita District was part of ancient Kita County (北郡, Kita-gun), established by the Northern Fujiwara. During the Edo period, the area was part of the Morioka han feudal domain of the Nambu clan, with a daikansho located in Tanabu (now part of the city of Mutsu.

The Nambu clan sided with the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei during the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration and were punished by the new Meiji government by loss of their northern territories. In November 1869, Kita-gun and neighboring Sannohe District became part of the newly created Tonami Domain (斗南藩, Tonami-han), a 30,000 koku holding created to resettle the dispossessed Matsudaira clan from Aizu-Wakamatsu. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Tonami Domain became Tonami Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Aomori Prefecture in September 1871.

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