Ibaraki, Ibaraki

Ibaraki 茨城町
Town
Ibaraki town office
Flag Seal
Location of Ibaraki in Ibaraki Prefecture
Ibaraki
Coordinates: 36°17′12.8″N 140°25′28.3″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Ibaraki
District	Higashiibaraki
Area
• Total	121.58 km2 (46.94 sq mi)
Population  (1 September 2020)
• Total	31,412
• Density	260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Prunus mume
- Flower	Sakura
- Bird	Japanese bush warbler
Phone number	029-292-1111
Address	1080 Ozutsumi, Ibaraki-machi, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki-ken 311-3192
Website	Official website

Lake Hinuma

Ibaraki (茨城町, Ibaraki-machi) is a town located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the town had an estimated population of 31,596 in 12,052 households and a population density of 260 inhabitants per square kilometre (670/sq mi). The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 34.9%. The total area of the town is 121.58 square kilometres (46.94 sq mi).

Geography

Located in central Ibaraki Prefecture, south of prefectural capital of Mito, Ibaraki is located in the flatlands near the Pacific Ocean, and almost encompasses Lake Hinuma, the 30th largest body of freshwater in Japan.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture

• Mito
• Omitama
• Kasama
• Hokota
• Ōarai

Climate

Ibaraki has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ibaraki is 13.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1367 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.1 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Ibaraki has remained relatively steadily for the past 40 years.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1950	31,639	—
1960	30,845	−2.5%
1970	29,956	−2.9%
1980	32,901	+9.8%
1990	35,651	+8.4%
2000	35,296	−1.0%
2010	34,513	−2.2%
2020	31,401	−9.0%

History

The villages of Nagaoka, Kawane, Kaminoai and Ishizaki were created within Higashiibaraki District and the village of Numasaki was created within Kashima District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Nagaoka was elevated to town status on February 11, 1955 and merged with Kawane and Kaminoai to form the town of Ibaraki the same day. Ibaraki annexed neighboring Ishizaki on March 5, 1958. The town was set to merge with Mito, on December 8, 2007, but following the election of a new mayor in April 2007, these plans were abandoned.

Government

Ibaraki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Ibaraki, together with neighboring Hokota and Ōarai, contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ibaraki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Ibaraki is primarily agricultural.

Education

• Ibaraki has four public elementary schools and two public middle schools operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

• Ibaraki does not have any passenger train service.

Highway

• Kita-Kantō Expressway – Ibarakimachi-Nishi Interchange, Ibarakimachi Junction, Ibarakimachi-Higashi Interchange
• Higashi-Kantō Expressway – Ibaraki Kuko Kita Interchange, Ibarakimachi Interchange
• National Route 6

Local attractions

• Hinuma Hydrangea Festival
• Ibaraki Festival

Noted people from Ibaraki

• Hideaki Tomiyama, Olympic gold medalist in wrestling
• Kami, drummer of Malice Mizer

External links

Media related to Ibaraki, Ibaraki at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)