Hachinohe (八戸市; -shi) is a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 241,613 and a density of 792 persons per km². The total area is 305.17 km². The city was founded on May 1, 1929. It was a castle town during the Tokugawa era (1603–1867) and served as a small commercial centre and port for the fishing grounds off southeastern Hokkaidō. Today, the port still serves the fishing industry as well as a number of international cargo vessels. The northern terminus of the Tōhoku Shinkansen is at Hachinohe Station. The symbol of Hachinohe is a black horse, called the Yawata-uma, with gold saddle markings and a decorative plume attached to its head. The Hachinohe area has been known since the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) for its breed of battle horses. Their farming horses have supported the lives of the commoners and have often been used as the theme for dances and folk tales. Horses have played an important role in the people's lives; thus the art of Yawata-uma figurines, or carved and painted wooden horses emerged and has become a regional art form. During the Meiji era, there was a debate as to whether the capital of newly-formed Aomori Prefecture should be at Hachinohe or Hirosaki; in the end the Meiji government decided to build a new town called Aomori and designate it as the capital of the prefecture. On March 31, 2005 the village of Nangō was merged into Hachinohe.