is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in Ibaraki Prefecture,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. , the city had an estimated population of 39,281 in 16.047 households and a population density of 220 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 37.6%. The total area of the city is .

Geography

Hitachiōmiya is located in the northwestern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, at the eastern foot of the Yamizo Mountains, with 59% of the city area classified as forest and mountains. The

Kuji River is a river in Fukushima Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It rises at the northern slope of Mount Yamizo, where the border of these three prefectures is located, and flows into Pacific Ocean at Hitachi and Tokai ...

runs from north to south in the eastern part of the city, along which

Japan National Route 118 National Route 118 is a national highway of Japan connecting Mito, Ibaraki and Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima in Japan, with a total length of 206.1 km (128.06 mi). See also * * References External links * 118 118 may refer to: *118 ( ...

and the JR Suigun Line pass. The city center is located in the southeast. The Naka River flows in the southwestern part of the city.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture * Hitachiōta *

Naka Naka may refer to: Places in Japan * Naka, Hyōgo, a former town in Hyōgo Prefecture * Naka, Ibaraki, a city in Ibaraki Prefecture * Naka, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Naka District, Ibaraki, a district in Ibaraki Prefecture * Nak ...

* Shirosato * Daigo Tochigi Prefecture * Nasukarasuyama * Nakagawa

Climate

Hitachiōmiya has a Humid continental climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hitachiōmiya is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Hitachiōmiya population statistics
/ref> the population of Hitachiōmiya has been declining over the past 70 years.

History

The town of Ōmiya was created within Naka District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The city of Hitachiōmiya was established on October 16, 2004, from the merger of Ōmiya with the neighboring villages of

Miwa Miwa (みわ, ミワ) is a feminine Japanese given name which can also be used as a surname. Possible writings Miwa can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *三和 "three, harmony" *三輪 "three, wheel/ring" *美和 "beauty ...

and

Ogawa Ogawa (written: lit. "small river" or in hiragana) is the 30th most common Japanese surname. Less common variants are (also "small river") or ("tail river"). Notable people with the surname include: *, American poet *, Japanese footballer * ...

(all from Naka District), the town of Yamagata, and the village of Gozenyama (both from

Higashiibaraki District is a district located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 122,478 and a density of 284 persons per km2. The total area is 431.44 km2. Towns and villages * Ibaraki * Ōarai * Shirosato Merg ...

Government

Hitachiōmiya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Hitachiōmiya contributes one member to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between Ibaraki 1st district and

Ibaraki 5th district , the House of Representatives of Japan is elected from a combination of multi-member districts and single-member districts, a method called Parallel voting. Currently, 176 members are elected from 11 multi-member districts (called proportional r ...

of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

Economy

The economy of Hitachiōmiya is primarily agricultural.

Education

Hitachiōmiya has 11 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

– Suigun Line * – – – – –

Highway

* * *

Local attractions

Notable people from Hitachiōmiya

* Miho Shiraishi, actress *

Dōmei Yakazu was a Japanese physician who contributed to the restoration of kampo medicine in Japan. In 1979, he was awarded the by the Japanese Medical Association for his contributions to oriental medicine. Life Yakazu was born in 1905 as Shirō, the four ...

, physician

References

External links

*
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Cities in Ibaraki Prefecture Hitachiōmiya, Ibaraki