former city, Shizuoka ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, on the west bank of the Tenryū River, northeast of Hamamatsu. In 2005 it became part of Hamamatsu. Hamakita's cotton industry began in the late 19th century and grew to some 500 factories; cotton manufacturing declined at the end of the 20th century. Other industrial products include automobile parts, motor bicycles, and textiles. Agriculture in the surrounding region yields hechima (snake gourds), ginger, and hogs.