Hita

Hita, city, northwestern Ōita ken (prefecture), north-central Kyushu, Japan. It lies on the Mikuma River in the centre of the Hita plateau.

Hita grew as a castle town in the late 16th century, and it retains many buildings dating from the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867). It is now a market for the rice, wheat, and vegetables produced on the plateau. Forests of Japanese cedar on the surrounding mountains are the basis of the city’s lumber industry and its manufacture of geta (wooden clogs) and furniture. The pottery industry still uses 18th-century Korean techniques.

Hita is also a popular summer resort, known for its quiet atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, and hot springs. Cormorant fishing is carried out on the Mikuma River, and the city is the starting point for leisure boat excursions on the river. Pop. (2010) 70,940; (2015) 66,523.