Ibaraki Prefecture

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For the city, see Ibaraki, Osaka.
Ibaraki Prefecture

茨城県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese茨城県
 • RōmajiIbaraki-ken
Flag of Ibaraki Prefecture
Flag		Official logo of Ibaraki Prefecture
Symbol
Location of Ibaraki Prefecture
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
IslandHonshu
CapitalMito
Government
 • GovernorKazuhiko Ōigawa
Area
 • Total6,095.58 km2 (2,353.52 sq mi)
Area rank23rd
Population
(February 1, 2017)
 • Total2,903,925
 • Rank11th
 • Density476.40/km2 (1,233.9/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeJP-08
Districts7
Municipalities44
FlowerRose (Rosa)
TreeUme tree (Prunus mume)
BirdEurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Websitewww.pref.ibaraki.jp

Ibaraki Prefecture (茨城県, Ibaraki-ken) is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region.[1] The capital is Mito.[2]

History[edit]

See also: Historic Sites of Ibaraki Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province. In 1871, the name of the province became Ibaraki.

Geography[edit]

Map of Ibaraki Prefecture
     City      Town
Mito
Tsukuba
Tsuchiura
Kashima

Ibaraki Prefecture is the northeastern part of the Kantō region, stretching between Tochigi Prefecture and the Pacific Ocean and bounded on the north and south by Fukushima Prefecture and Chiba Prefecture. It also has a border on the southwest with Saitama Prefecture. The northernmost part of the prefecture is mountainous, but most of the prefecture is a flat plain with many lakes.

As of 1 April 2012, 15% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park and nine Prefectural Natural Parks.[3]

Cities[edit]

Thirty-two (32) cities are located in Ibaraki Prefecture:

Towns and villages[edit]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers[edit]

Main article: List of mergers in Ibaraki Prefecture

Economy[edit]

Ibaraki's industries include energy production, particularly nuclear energy, as well as chemical and precision machining industries. The Hitachi company was founded in the Ibaraki city of the same name.

As of March 2011, the prefecture produced 25% of Japan's bell peppers and Chinese cabbage.[4]

Demographics[edit]

Ibaraki's population is decreasing more rapidly than any other prefecture. [5]

Culture[edit]

Ibaraki is known for nattō, or fermented soybeans, in Mito, watermelons in Kyōwa (recently merged into Chikusei), and chestnuts in the Nishiibaraki region.

Ibaraki is famous for the martial art of Aikido founded by Ueshiba Morihei, also known as Osensei. Ueshiba spent the latter part of his life in the town of Iwama, now part of Kasama, and the Aiki Shrine and dojo he created still remain.[6]

There are castle ruins in many cities, including Mito, Kasama, and Yūki.

Kasama is famous for Shinto, art culture and pottery.[citation needed]

The capital Mito is home to Kairakuen, one of Japan's three most celebrated gardens, and famous for its over 3,000 Japanese plum trees of over 100 varieties.

Education[edit]

University[edit]

Sports[edit]

The sports teams listed below are based in Ibaraki.

Football (soccer)[edit]

Volleyball[edit]

Rugby[edit]

Baseball[edit]

  • Ibaraki Golden Golds (Regional club)

Wrestling[edit]

  • Hitachi Pro Wrestling (Regional group)

Basketball[edit]

Tourism[edit]

  • A panoramic view of Kasumigaura and Tsuchiura, from　Mount Hokyo

  • Fukuroda waterfalls in Daigo

  • A view of Mount Tsukuba, from Tsukuba City

  • A view of Suigo Itako Iris Garden

  • A view of Rokkakudo and Pacific Ocean in Kitaibaraki

Transportation and access[edit]

Railways[edit]

Cable cars[edit]

Roads[edit]

Expressways[edit]

National highways[edit]

Ports[edit]

  • Kashima Port

Airports[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

The prefecture is often mispronounced "Ibaragi". However, the correct pronunciation is "Ibaraki". According to the author of "Not Ibaragi, Ibaraki",[7] this is most likely due to a mishearing of the softening of the "k" sound in Ibaraki dialect.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ibaraki-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 367, at Google Books; "Kantō" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 479, at Google Books.
  2. ^ Nussbaum, "Mito" at Japan Encyclopedia, p. 642, at Google Books.
  3. ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  4. ^ Schreiber, Mark, "Japan's food crisis goes beyond recent panic buying", The Japan Times, 17 April 2011, p. 9.
  5. ^ Japan Today 1st Feb 2019
  6. ^ Aikikai Foundation Ibaraki Branch Dojo "[1] Founder and Iwama", Retrieved August 25 2017
  7. ^ いばらぎじゃなくていばらき [Ibaragi ja Nakute Ibaraki]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 36°14′N 140°17′E / 36.233°N 140.283°E / 36.233; 140.283

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