Tsuchizaki Port

Tsuchizaki's shift from a Sea of Japan trading port to an industrial harbor accelerated after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, when the new government replaced closed-border policies with active pursuit of Western technology. Sailing ships gave way to steamships, but the shallow harbor could not accommodate them until local business leaders built a dedicated wharf in 1902. Akita Prefecture became one of Japan's largest oil-producing regions in the first half of the 20th century, at times contributing nearly 70 percent of domestic output, and the oil refinery built here made Tsuchizaki a target during World War II air raids. The port was renamed Akita Port when the district merged with the city in 1941.