Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki

Kitaibaraki
北茨城市
City

Kitaibaraki city hall

Flag

Seal

Location of Kitaibaraki in Ibaraki Prefecture
Kitaibaraki

 

Coordinates: 36°48′6.8″N 140°45′3.7″E / 36.801889°N 140.751028°E / 36.801889; 140.751028Coordinates: 36°48′6.8″N 140°45′3.7″E / 36.801889°N 140.751028°E / 36.801889; 140.751028
Country Japan
Region Kantō
Prefecture Ibaraki Prefecture
Area
  Total 186.80 km2 (72.12 sq mi)
Population (September 2015)
  Total 43,809
  Density 235/km2 (610/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree Pine
- Flower Rhododendron ponticum
- Bird Common gull
- Fish Goosefish
Phone number 0293-43-1111
Address Isohara 1630, Isohara-chō, Kitaibaraki-shi, Ibaraki-ken 319-1592
Website Official website

Kitaibaraki (北茨城市 Kitaibaraki-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 43,809 and a population density of 235 persons per km². Its total area was 186.80 square kilometres (72.12 sq mi).

Geography

Kitaibaraki is located in northern Ibaraki Prefecture, bounded by Fukushima Prefecture to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the east. As its name implies, it is the northernmost city within Ibaraki. Approximately 80% of the total area is mountainous forest. The eastern region is low ground facing the ocean with spacious open flatland along the Okita and Satone Rivers. It is approximately 57 kilometers to the northeast of Mito, the prefectural capital.

Surrounding municipalities

History

The towns of Otsu and Hiragata and the village of Kitanakago were created with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Kitanakago became the town of Isohara on January 1, 1925. On March 31, 1956 the towns of Otsu, Hiragata, Isohara and the villages of Sekinan, Sekimonto and Minaminakago merged to form the city of Kitaibaraki. The city suffered from serious damage caused by the tsunami from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.[1]

Economy

Commerce developed during the Edo period along the Tanagura highway, which was also called the 'Road of Salt'. The area flourished with ports for water transportation and coal mining began at the end of the Edo period. Kitaibaraki is now a regional commercial center with some light manufacturing. The Joban Coal Field, which was the mainstay of the economy from the Meiji period to the mid-Showa period, closed in 1976. Commercial fishing from Otsu fishing port, notably for angler fish is also a factor in the local economy.

Education

Kitaibaraki has 12 elementary schools, five middle schools, and one high school.

Transportation

Railway

Highway

Sister city relations

Local attractions

Festivals

Notable people from Kitaibaraki

References

  1. http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/news-toppix0307/8/ Kita Ibaraki
  2. "Sister Cities & Friendship cities located in the upper half of the North Island". Sister cities. Consulate-General of Japan in Auckland. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  3. "100 Soundscapes of Japan". Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 18 April 2011. (Japanese)

External links

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