Tsugaru, Aomori

Tsugaru (つがる市; -shi) is a city located in Aomori in the Tohoku region of Japan.

The city was founded on February 11, 2005 from the merger of the town Kizukuri and the villages Inagaki, Kashiwa, Morita, and Shariki, all from Nishitsugaru District. The city's name is atypical for a Japanese place name in that it is written in hiragana rather than kanji (see "hiragana cities").

As of 2003, the merged municipalities have an estimated population of 39,999 and a density of 158 persons per km². The total (merged) area is 253.85 km².

Tsugaru city has, since 2005, slipped into a state of near-bankruptcy, as several villages which joined the city were carrying huge debts, which need to be repaid, however the local government has tried to combat this situation using somewhat controversial tax rises, including national health insurance for the elderly, as well as somewhat draconian punishments for those who fail to pay water bills, having their home water systems removed etc. This has caused significant drops in population over the years.Fact|date=September 2008

External links

* [http://www.city.tsugaru.aomori.jp/ Tsugaru official website]
* [http://www.enjoytsugaru.com/ Local area business and sightseeing guide]

tsugaru city has, since 2005, slipped into a state of near-bankrupcy, as several villages which joined the city were carrying huge debts, which need to be repaid, however the local government has tried to combat this situation using somewhat controversial tax rises, including national health insurance for the elderly, as well as somewhat draconian punishments for those who fail to pay water bills, have their home water systems removed etc.