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is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of
Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island ...
. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders
Fukushima Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miya ...
to the north, Tochigi Prefecture to the northwest, Saitama Prefecture to the southwest,
Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the n ...
to the south, and the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
to the east. Mito, the capital, is the largest city in Ibaraki Prefecture. Other major cities include Tsukuba,
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
, and Hitachinaka. Ibaraki Prefecture is located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast to the northeast of
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, and is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, the most populous metropolitan area in the world. Ibaraki Prefecture features Lake Kasumigaura, the second-largest lake in Japan; the Tone River, Japan's second-longest river and largest
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
; and Mount Tsukuba, one of the most famous mountains in Japan. Ibaraki Prefecture is also home to Kairaku-en, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, and is an important center for the
martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
of
Aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles, including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in a ...
.


History

Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province. In 1871, the name of the province became Ibaraki, and in 1875 it became its current size, by annexing some districts belonging to the extinct Shimōsa Province.


Paleolithic

In
Japanese Paleolithic The is the period of human inhabitation in Japan predating the development of pottery, generally before 10,000 BC. The starting dates commonly given to this period are from around 40,000 BC; although any date of human presence before 35,000 BC ...
, humans are believed to have started living in the present-day prefecture area before and after the deposition of the volcanic ash layer from the Aira Caldera about 24,000 years ago. At the bottom of this layer are local tools of polished stone and burnt pebbles.


Asuka Period

During the
Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after t ...
the provinces of Hitachi and Fusa were created. Later Fusa was divided, among them, the Shimōsa Province.


Muromachi Period

At the beginning of the
Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by ...
, in the 14th century, Kitabatake Chikafusa made of the
Oda Castle is a ''hira''-style Muromachi period Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It has been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1935. ...
his field headquarters for over a year, and wrote the Jinnō Shōtōki (Chronicles of the Authentic Lineages of the Divine Emperors), while he was at castle.


Edo Period

In
Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...
, one of the three houses or clans originating from
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fel ...
(Gosanke 御 三家, three houses), settled in the Mito Domain, known as Mito Tokugawa family or Mito Clan. Mito Domain, was a Japanese domain of the Edo period it was associated with Hitachi Province. In 1657 the Mitogaku school was created, when
Tokugawa Mitsukuni , also known as , was a Japanese daimyo who was known for his influence in the politics of the early Edo period. He was the third son of Tokugawa Yorifusa (who in turn was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) and succeeded him, becoming the s ...
, head of the Mito Domain, commissioned the compilation of the '' Dai Nihonshi''.


Meiji Period

In Meiji era, during the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were r ...
, the political map changes, the old provinces are converted or merged, to create the current prefectures, in this case the Ibaraki Prefecture.


Geography

Ibaraki Prefecture is the northeastern part of the Kantō region, stretching between Tochigi Prefecture and the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
and bounded on the north and south by
Fukushima Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miya ...
and
Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the n ...
. 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 and is part of
Kantō Plain The is the largest plain in Japan, and is located in the Kantō region of central Honshū. The total area of 17,000 km2 covers more than half of the region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefectur ...
.


Natural Parks

, 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. Also, Ibaraki has one Prefectural Geopark. The Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park, also includes the northeast area of Chiba Prefecture.


Mountains

The northern third of the prefecture is mountainous and in the center is the Tsukuba Mountains (筑波 山地). Its main mountains are: mount Yamizo with an elevation of 1022 m on the border with Fukushima and Tochigi prefectures (
tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...
), mount Takasasa with 922 m, mount Tsukuba with two peaks Nyotai-San at 877 m and Nantai-San at 871 m, mount Osho at 804 m, mount Hanazono at 798 m, and
mount Kaba Kaba, a twin volcano with Mount Hitam in Bengkulu Province of Indonesia, has an elongated summit crater complex dominated by three large historically active craters trending ENE from the summit to the upper NE flank. The SW-most crater of Gunung ...
at 709 m.


Water system

The main rivers that flow through the prefecture include the Tone, Naka (Ibaraki), and Kuji rivers, all of which flow into the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
. Before the seventeenth century, the lower reaches of the Tone were different from its current layout, and the Tone ran south and emptied into
Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous ...
, and tributaries such as the Watarase and Kinu rivers had independent water systems. The main tributaries of the Tone River basin are the Kinu River and Kokai River, which flow from north to south in the western part of the prefecture. The Shintone and Sakura rivers flow into Lake Nishiura. The Edo River flows into Tokyo Bay; its source currently rises as an arm of the Tone River. In the past, the course of the Edo River was different, its source was corrected and diverted to the Tone River in the 17th century by the Tokugawa shogunate to protect the city of
Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
(now Tokyo) from flooding. The Tone River, in addition to the Edo River, is part of the southern border of Ibaraki Prefecture with Chiba Prefecture, and the Watarase River, Tone River, Gongendō River, and Naka River (Saitama) in the southwestern border of Ibaraki with Saitama Prefecture. The Watarase River has become a small boundary of the southern border between Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures. From ancient times to the beginning of the Edo period, the lower reaches of the Tone River did not exist and the mouth of the Tone was in Tokyo Bay. On the plain was the
Katori Sea The refers to the vanished inland sea formerly located in the eastern part of the ancient Kantō Plain connected to the Pacific Ocean, between the prefectures of Ibaraki Prefecture, Ibaraki and Chiba Prefecture, Chiba in Japan. Inland sea In t ...
, which existed in ancient times, the Lake Kasumigaura and other lagoons in present-day Chiba prefecture are remnants of that sea. Katori Sea was connected to the Kashima-nada (Pacific Ocean). Lake Kasumigaura is currently divided into three lakes: Nishiura, Kitaura, Sotonasakaura. In addition, in the prefecture there are freshwater lagoons such as Hinuma, Senba, and Ushiku.
Fukuoka Dam Fukuoka Dam (福岡堰, fukuoka seki) is a dam that spans the Kokai River in Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki, Japan. It is one of the three largest dams
, is a dam that spans the Kokai River in Tsukubamirai, it is one of the three largest dams in the Kantō region. Ryūjin Dam in Hitachiōta, is a beautiful dam on the Ryūjin River with a large pedestrian suspension bridge above the dam lake.


Cities

Thirty-two (32) cities are located in Ibaraki Prefecture: * Mito (capital city of the prefecture) * Bandō *
Chikusei 260px, Shimodate Haguro Shrine is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 99,987 in 37,635 households and a population density of 487 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 w ...
*
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
* Hitachinaka * Hitachiōmiya * Hitachiōta * Hokota *
Inashiki is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 39,127 in 14,733 households and a population density of 191 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 37.1%. The total area of th ...
* Ishioka *
Itako , also known as or , are blind women who train to become spiritual mediums in Japan. Training involves severe ascetic practices, after which the woman is said to be able to communicate with Japanese Shinto spirits, ''kami'', and the spirits of ...
*
Jōsō is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 59,314 in 21,168 households and a population density of 480 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 38.8%. The total area of ...
* Kamisu * Kasama * Kashima * Kasumigaura *
Kitaibaraki file:Izura-beach2011.jpg, 250px, Izura coast of Kitaibaraki is a Cities of Japan, city in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 41,750 in 17,034 households and a population density of 220 persons per km². The perce ...
* Koga * Moriya *
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 ...
* Namegata * Omitama * Ryūgasaki *
Sakuragawa 260px, Cherry Blossoms of Sakuragawa is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 39,072 in 13,721 households and a population density of 217 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged o ...
*
Shimotsuma 260px, Lake Sanuma is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 41,638 in 16,021 households and a population density of 515 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.0%. Th ...
*
Takahagi 250px, Hananuki valley 250px, Takado Beach is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 27,522 in 11,651 households and a population density of 140 persons per km². The percentage of the population a ...
* Toride * Tsuchiura * Tsukuba * Tsukubamirai * Ushiku * Yūki


Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each
district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
, 10 towns and 2 villages in 7 districts: *
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 ...
** Ibaraki ** Ōarai ** Shirosato * Inashiki District ** Ami ** Kawachi ** Miho * Kitasōma District ** Tone * Kuji District ** Daigo * Naka District ** Tōkai * Sashima District **
Goka 260px, Nakanoshima Park is a town located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 8,162 in 2987 households and a population density of 353 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 34.7%. ...
** Sakai *
Yūki District is a district located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As at May, 2008, the district had an estimated Population of 23,388 and a Density of 396 persons/km2. The total area is 59.1 km2. The district contains one town, Administrative changes ...
** Yachiyo


Mergers


Economy

Ibaraki's economy is based on energy production (particularly nuclear energy), chemical and precision machining industries, research institutes, and tourism. Agriculture, fishing, and livestock are also important sectors in the prefecture. Ibaraki's vast flat terrain make it highly suitable for industrial development. This complements its proximity to the Tokyo metropolitan area, giving it a high reputation as an industrial base. The prefecture is also home to Tsukuba, Japan's most extensive research and academic city, and the birthplace of
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
, Ltd.


Agriculture

With extensive flat lands, abundant water, and suitable climate, Ibaraki is among the prefectures with the highest agricultural production in Japan. It plays an important role in supplying food to the Tokyo metropolitan area. Its main products include melons, pears, peppers, various varieties of rice and sugar cane, as well as flowers and ornamental plants. It also supplies other food crops to the rest of the country. As of March 2011, the prefecture produced 25% of Japan's bell peppers and Chinese cabbage.


Fishing

It is one of the prefectures with the highest fish production in the country; in the Pacific Ocean, Lake Kasumigaura, other lagoons and rivers, various species of fish are obtained.


Cattle

The Hitachigyū cattle (常 陸 牛 - ひたちぎゅう - Hitachi-gyū, Hitachi-ushi), which is a prefectural bovine breed, is noteworthy in livestock. The name comes from the kanji 常 陸 (Hitachi), the name of the ancient Hitachi Province and 牛 (ushi or gyū, beef). Background. In 1833 Tokugawa Nariaki (徳川 斉昭) established the breeding of black cattle in the present Migawa-chō (見川 町) of the city of Mito. Originally it remained mainly in the northern part of the prefecture, but later it spread throughout the prefecture.


Industrial centers

* Hitachi area. Grouping of industries, such as electrical, electronic and machinery. More than 1,300 companies; many of them hired by the
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
company, which was founded in Sukegawa (
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
City) in 1910. * Tōkai area. Atomic Energy Research Organization Grouping. J-PARC, Proton Accelerator Research Complex. * Tsukuba area. 32 institutes for education and research. Manipulation of matter at the level of atoms (nanotechnology). Robotic security center for support in daily life. Space center. * Kashima area. Grouping of materials industries, such as steel and petrochemicals, around 160 companies.


Demographics

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


Culture

Ibaraki is known for nattō, or fermented soybeans, in Mito, watermelons in Kyōwa (recently merged into
Chikusei 260px, Shimodate Haguro Shrine is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 99,987 in 37,635 households and a population density of 487 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 w ...
), and chestnuts in the Nishiibaraki region. Ibaraki is famous for the martial art of
Aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a modern Japanese martial art that is split into many different styles, including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in a ...
founded by Morihei Ueshiba, 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 A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...
he created still remain. Kasama is famous for
Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...
( Kasama Inari Shrine), Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, house museum of the calligrapher and ceramist Kitaōji Rosanjin,
Kasama Nichidō Museum of Art opened in Kasama, Ibaraki, Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, in 1972. It was established to celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the , the first commercial art gallery in Japan specialising in ''yōga'' or Western-style paint ...
, residence of Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the martial art Aikidō. The capital Mito is home to Kairakuen, one of Japan's three most celebrated gardens, and famous for its over 3,000
Japanese plum Japanese plum is a common name for several trees producing edible fruits and may refer to: *''Prunus mume'' *''Prunus salicina'', native to China *Loquat (''Eriobotrya japonica'') See also * ''Prunus japonica ''Prunus japonica'' (also ''Cera ...
trees of over 100 varieties. Kashima Shrine (Jingū) Ibaraki's cultural heritage.
Mito Tōshō-gū is the memorial shrine of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. History The Mito Tōshōgū was established by Tokugawa Yorifusa, the 11th son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and ''daimyō'' of Mito Domain in 1621. The shrine originally ens ...
, is the memorial shrine of
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fel ...
in Mito.
Seizansō The , also known as the was the retirement villa of Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the second ''daimyō'' of Mito Domain under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. It is located in the city of Hitachiōta, Ibaraki. The villa was designated a Nation ...
was the retirement villa of
Tokugawa Mitsukuni , also known as , was a Japanese daimyo who was known for his influence in the politics of the early Edo period. He was the third son of Tokugawa Yorifusa (who in turn was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) and succeeded him, becoming the s ...
. Mito Municipal Botanical Park, is a botanical garden in Mito. Park Ibaraki Nature Museum in Bandō. There are castle ruins in many cities, including Mito Castle, Yūki Castle,
Kasama Castle is a Japanese castle located in Kasama, central Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Kasama Castle was home to a junior branch of Makino clan, ''daimyō'' of Kasama Domain, but castle and domain went through many changes i ...
, Tsuchiura Castle,
Oda Castle is a ''hira''-style Muromachi period Japanese castle located in what is now the city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It has been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1935. ...
. Hitachi Fūryūmono, a puppet float theater festival, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Makabe Hina Doll Festival - Hinamatsuri - (Sakuragawa City). Yūki-tsumugi (silk weaving technique) Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,
Kasama ware is a style of Japanese pottery made in Kasama, Ibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. History During the mid- Edo period, many potters from the Shigaraki area traveled the country to sell their wares or to simply find employment. During the ...
, Makabe Stone Lamp, Kagami Crystal Glass Factory, old glass factory in Ryūgasaki City.


Education


University

*Ami ** Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences *Hitachi ** Ibaraki Christian University *Mito ** Ibaraki University ** Tokiwa University *Ryūgasaki ** Ryūtsū Keizai University *Toride ** Tokyo University of the Arts *Tsuchiura ** Tsukuba International University *Tsukuba ** Tsukuba University ** Tsukuba Gakuin University **
Tsukuba University of Technology , or NTUT, is a national university in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 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 ...


Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Ibaraki.


Football (soccer)

* Kashima Antlers ( Kashima) * Mito HollyHock ( Mito) * Tsukuba FC ( Tsukuba)


Volleyball

* Hitachi Rivale (Women's) ( Hitachinaka)


Rugby

* Stags - Kashima Rugby Football Club RFC (Kashima)


American football

* Tsukuba University (Tsukuba)


Baseball

* Ibaraki Astro Planets ( Yūki) ( Baseball Challenge League) * Ibaraki Golden Golds (Regional club) (Tsukuba)


Wrestling

* Hitachi Pro Wrestling (Regional group) (
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
)


Basketball

* Ibaraki Robots (Mito)


Motorsport race

* Tsukuba Circuit (
Shimotsuma 260px, Lake Sanuma is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 41,638 in 16,021 households and a population density of 515 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.0%. Th ...
)


Tourism

* Kairaku-en (garden) * Mount Tsukuba * Lake Kasumigaura * Kashima Shrine * Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History * Tsukuba Science City * Ushiku Daibutsu * Ōarai Aquarium *
Fukuroda Falls is a waterfall located in the town of Daigo, Ibaraki Prefecture Japan. It is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. and is one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls", per a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1 ...
File:Hobikibune 05.JPG, Hobikibune (Sailboat) on Lake Kasumigaura File:Fukuroda Falls 44.jpg,
Fukuroda Falls is a waterfall located in the town of Daigo, Ibaraki Prefecture Japan. It is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. and is one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls", per a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1 ...
in Daigo File:Mount Tsukuba 2.jpg, A view of Mount Tsukuba, from Tsukuba City File:Suigo Itako Ayame Garden 07.jpg, A view of Suigō
Itako , also known as or , are blind women who train to become spiritual mediums in Japan. Training involves severe ascetic practices, after which the woman is said to be able to communicate with Japanese Shinto spirits, ''kami'', and the spirits of ...
Iris Garden File:Rokkakudo seen from the sea (Kitaibaraki City) 2020.jpg, A view of Rokkakudō and Pacific Ocean in Kitaibaraki File:Oarai Coast 09.jpg,
Torii A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The presence of a ''torii'' at the entrance is usually the simples ...
of Ōarai Coast File:Miharashino Oka (Hitachi Seaside Park) 17.jpg, Nemophila in spring in Hitachi Seaside Park File:Kairakuen (7125549463).jpg, Kairaku-en File:Kashima-jingu romon gate.jpg, Kashima Shrine File:20100216 acaworld01.jpg, Ōarai Aquarium


Transportation and access


Railways

* East Japan Railway Company ** Jōban Line ** Utsunomiya Line ( Tōhoku Main Line) ** Mito Line ** Suigun Line **
Kashima Line The is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It links Katori Station with Kashima Soccer Stadium Station by crossing and then following the Tone River, at the border between Chiba Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefectur ...
* Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company ** Tsukuba Express *
Kantō Railway is a private railway company, which operates two lines in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan. The company is a subsidiary of Keisei Electric Railway and other companies. Additionally, the company has a bus department in Ibaraki Prefecture and Chiba Pr ...
** Jōsō Line **
Ryūgasaki Line The is a railway line operated by the Kantō Railway in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan. It is a non-electrified line which connects , on the Jōban Line, to , with one intermediate station at . History The Ryuzaki Railway Co. opened the line on 1 ...
* Kashima Rinkai Railway ** Ōarai Kashima Line ** Kashima Rinkō Line *Hitachinaka Seaside Railway ** Minato Line *Mooka Railway ** Mooka Line


Cable cars

*Tsukuba Kankō Railway ** Mount Tsukuba Cable Car **
Mount Tsukuba Ropeway The is Japanese aerial lift An aerial lift, also known as a cable car or ropeway, is a means of cable transport in which ''cabins'', ''cars'', ''gondolas'', or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of one or more cables. Aerial l ...


Roads


Expressways

* Jōban Expressway * Ken-Ō Expressway * Kita-Kantō Expressway * Higashi-Kantō Expressway


National highways

Ibaraki Prefecture with the following national routes: * National Route 4 (around Koga area) * National Route 6 (
Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...
of
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
-Toride-Tsuchiura-Mito-Hitachi- Iwaki-
Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the ''daimyō'' Date M ...
) * National Route 50 * National Route 51 (Mito-Kashima-Itako- Narita- Chiba) * National Route 118 * National Route 123 * National Route 124 * National Route 125 ( Katori-Tsuchiura-Tsukuba-Koga- Gyōda- Kumagaya) * National Route 245 * National Route 293 * National Route 294 * National Route 349 * National Route 354 * National Route 355 * National Route 400 (Mito- Nakagawa- Nikko- Minamiaizu- Nishiaizu * National Route 408 * National Route 461


Prefectural routes

Ibaraki Prefecture with more than 300 prefectural routes.


Ports

* Port of Ibaraki ::*Port of Hitachi ::*Port of Hitachinaka ::*Port of Ōarai - Ferry route to Tomakomai, Muroran of Hokkaidō * Port of Kashima


Airports

* Ibaraki Airport * Ryūgasaki Airfield *
Tsukuba Heliport is a heliport in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. It is operated by Japan Airport Consultants Co., Ltd. under the management of the prefectural government. History The survey was started in 1988 as the first step to improve the empty public transport ...
* Ōtone Airstrip is an airfield located on the Tone River in Kawachi.


Pronunciation

The prefecture is often alternatively pronounced "Ibara''gi'' by those who speak the regional dialect known as Ibaraki-ben. However, the standard pronunciation is "Ibara''ki''. According to the author of "Not Ibara''gi'', Ibara''ki'',いばらぎじゃなくていばらき
'Ibaragi ja Nakute Ibaraki''/ref> this is most likely due to a mishearing of the softening of the "k" sound in Ibaraki dialect.


Sister regions

Ibaraki is twinned with: *
Essonne Essonne () is a department of France in the southern Île-de-France region. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659 across 194 communes.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...


See also

*
2005 Ibaraki gubernatorial election Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...


Notes


References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge:
Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the reti ...
. . .


External links


Ibaraki Prefecture Official Website


{{Coord, 36, 14, N, 140, 17, E, scale:500000, display=title Kantō region Prefectures of Japan