city, northern Akita ken (prefecture), northern Honshu, Japan, on the Yoneshiro River. As a castle town during the Edo (Tokugawa) era (1603–1867), it served as a market for the surrounding agricultural region. The city is now a lumbering centre and is known for the production of wood products. Iron ore was discovered in the vicinity in 1962, and the city serves as a trade centre for the copper, lead, and zinc mined along the upper Yoneshiro River. Ōdate is the home of the Akita dog breed. Pop. (2005 prelim.) 82,507.