Akita Prefecture [a̠kʲita̠] is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Its population is estimated 915,691 and its geographic area is 11,637 km2. Akita Prefecture is bordered by Aomori Prefecture to the north, Iwate Prefecture to the east, Miyagi Prefecture to the southeast, and Yamagata Prefecture to the south.
AkitaIPA:[aꜜki̥ta]; lit."Autumn field City" is the capital city of Akita Prefecture, Japan, and has been designated a core city since 1 April 1997. As of 1 August 2023, the city has an estimated population of 300,502 persons in 136,628 households and a population density of 332 persons per km². The total area of the city is 906.07 square kilometres (349.84 sq mi).
The Akita Northern Happinets are a Japanese professional basketball team based in Akita that competes in the Eastern Conference of the First Division of the B.League. The team was formed as an expansion team of the bj league in 2010 and found success for the first time in 2013–14, finishing their fourth season as league runners-up. They went on to finish as runners-up for the second year in a row in 2014–15 and in third place in 2015–16, the final season of the bj league.
Josep "Pep" Clarós Canals is a Spanish professional basketball coach with experience in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America.
CNA Arena Akita is an arena in Rinkai-area, Akita, Japan. It is owned and run by the city. Cable Networks Akita acquired its naming rights in 2015. The silver-colored building opened in 1994 and holds 5,000 people. The gym has a dome-shaped 154 feet height ceiling, and added 2,088 extra seatings in 2016. It is the home arena of the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League, Japan's professional basketball league. The biggest basketball court in Akita is Akita Prefectural Gymnasium.
Kenichi Takahashi, nicknamed Shocho, is a former Japanese professional basketball player and served for Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League as the ambassador. Takahashi is currently the instructor for Toreiku Katagami. He was selected by the Sendai 89ers with the third overall pick in the 2006 bj League draft. He has played for the four Tohoku clubs of the bj league. In October 2015 he became a one-day honorary police chief at the Akita Higashi Police Station. Since then a police officer salute has become popular among Akita's boosters. Takahashi studies NBA to improve his game, and he is an Air Jordan collector. His retirement memorial game was held at Akita Prefectural Gymnasium on October 29, 2017.
Shigehiro Taguchi, nicknamed Shige, is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He is a native of Akita prefecture and the most popular player in the "Republic of Pink". He might be the B.League's best current 3-point shooter, and has won the 3 point contest three times. Taguchi was a new captain of Happinets in 2016.
Ryosuke Mizumachi is a former Japanese professional basketball player who played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan.
Takuya Nakayama is a Japanese professional basketball player who plays for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He wears #17 because his mother, Yuko was born on the 17th day of the month. On April 22, 2017, Nakayama made the longest shot of the B.League at first quarter buzzer beater. On December 30. 2017, he hit another longest shot of the league at the third quarter buzzer beater.
Akita Northern Gate Square (秋田ノーザンゲートスクエア) is an indoor basketball arena in Akita, Akita, Japan. Groundbreaking and construction began in 2018, and it was opened on December 17, 2019. It is located adjacent to the JR Akita Station, and the home practice arena of JR East Akita Peckers basketball. Featuring Akita cedar ceiling frameworks and glass walls, the three-storey building also houses the practice facility and team headquarters of the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League.
Shoya Uchimura is a former Japanese professional basketball player who played for Akita Northern Happinets of the bj league in Japan.
Yu Yoshimoto is a former Japanese professional basketball player who played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the bj league in Japan. He currently teaches amateurs at the Happinets organization. He also plays for the Mitane Taikyo Kotooka of Noshiro Yamamoto Basketball Association.
Cable Networks Akita, also known as CNA, is a cable provider in Japan with 46,418 connected households as of February 27, 2017. The company was established in June 1985. They acquired the naming rights of the Akita Municipal Gymnasium, the home of Akita Northern Happinets, in 2015.
Kadeem D'Arby Coleby, nicknamed KC, is a Bahamian professional basketball player who last played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the B.League in Japan. He is one of the league-leading skilled shot blockers. He fractured both kneecaps during the game on February 10, 2021.
FM Akita Co., Ltd. is a Japanese FM station, an affiliate of the Japan FM Network. Their headquarters are located in Akita Prefecture.
Chas William McFarland is an American former professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league. The 7-footer was the tallest Happinets player and took over the "air supremacy". He was kicked in head by Niigata forward Rodney Webb and broke his nose in March 2014.
Sylvester Seay is an American former professional basketball player. He last played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league. He played college basketball for Arizona State and Fresno State.
Dion Harris is an American former professional basketball player for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league.
Jordan DeMercy is an American professional basketball player who played for the Akita Northern Happinets of the Japanese bj league.
Yasuhiko Takahashi is a Japanese wheel gymnastics acrobat. He has won 3 World Champion Titles, 7 Japanese Champion Titles. He also works for the basketball team, Akita Northern Happinets. At the age of 19, he was injured as a baseball player, and shifted to a wheel athlete. His technique of fast spinnig is called "Oisa Tornade". Oisa is festival shout of Kakunodate Matsuri.
