clan who once ruled in the region. In 1189, during the Kamakura period, Nanbu Mitsuyuki, a retainer of Minamoto no Yoritomo from Kai Province was awarded the Nukanobu (糠部) district of far northern Mutsu Province after the defeat of the Northern Fujiwara clan. The land was found to be suitable for raising warhorses, for which the region became famous. The area was part of Hachinohe Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. In April 1889, with the introduction of the modern municipalities system, the area became Gonohe Village. In November 1915, the village was elevated to town status. In July 1955, Gonohe Town was combined with neighboring Kawauchi and Asada villages; this also included incorporating part of the Tekurabashi area of Nozawa Village and the Toyomauchi area of Toyosaki Village. The town merged with the neighbouring village of Kuraishi on April 1, 2012. In recent years there has been a small community of repatriated Manchukuoan Japanese living in Kuraishi. Government Gonohe has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Tōhoku is part of Sannohe District which contributes three members to the Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Aomori 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Local culture In its earlier history Gonohe enjoyed a reputation as a breeding centre for horses of exceptional quality, popular amongst the samurai. With the decline of the samurai, Gonohe's horses continued to be bred for their meat. The lean horse meat is coveted as a delicacy, especially when served in its raw form, known as . This dish is a specialty of both Gonohe and Kumamoto in southern Kyūshū. After horses, Gonohe is best known for the local popularity of soccer. Economy The key industry of the town is agriculture, with a focus mainly on producing vegetables, rice and livestock. Since the town was designated a new industrial city of the Hachinohe region, inland industries have developed in the Jizodaira Industrial Estate, where 20 companies are now in operation. Education Gonohe has four public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education. International relations Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya Province, Philippines, since 1983 Okcheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea since 1997 Recent controversy On 28 June 2001, the town's