The Nanbu clan sided with the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei during the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration and were punished by the new Meiji government by loss of their northern territories. In November 1869, Kita-gun and neighboring Sannohe District became part of the newly created Tonami Domain (斗南藩, Tonami-han), a 30,000 koku holding created to resettle the dispossessed Matsudaira clan from Aizu-Wakamatsu. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Tonami Domain became Tonami Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Aomori Prefecture in September 1871.
During the early Meiji period administrative reorganization of Japan on July 22, 1878, Kamikita and Shimokita were divided from former Kita County, and Kamikita was divided into 50 villages. In the cadastral reform of April 1, 1889, the number of villages was reduced through consolidations and mergers to sixteen.
District Timeline
On September 27, 1897, the village of Noheji was elevated to town status.
On September 1, 1902, the village of Shichinohe was elevated to town status.
On September 1, 1910, the village of Sanbongi was elevated to town status.
On April 20, 1929, the village of Momoishi was elevated to town status.
On February 1, 1948, several villages or portions of villages were merged to create the town of Omisawa.
On February 1, 1956, the town of Sanbongi was elevated to city status.
On April 1, 1956, the village of Towada was elevated to town status.
On October 1, 1957, the village of Rokunohe was elevated to town status.
On April 1, 1958, the village of Yokohama was elevated to town status.
On September 1, 1958, the town of Omisawa was elevated to city status and became the city of Misawa.
On September 1, 1958, the village of Uranodate was elevated to town status and became the town of Kamikita.
On August 1, 1969, the village of Shimoda was elevated to town status.
On April 1, 1975, the town of Towada was renamed as the town of Towadako.
On January 1, 2005 - The town of Towadako was merged into the expanded city of Towada.
On March 1, 2005 - The towns of Shimoda and Momoishi were merged to form the town of Oirase.
References
^"青森県の衆議院小選挙区の区割りについて(平成29年以降)" [About the division of Aomori Prefecture's House of Representatives single-member constituency (2017-)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 May 2020.