260px, Cherry Blossoms of Sakuragawa 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 is a Prefectures of Japan, 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, ...

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 Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 39,072 in 13,721 households and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 217 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 34.3%. The total area of the city is .

Geography

Located in central-western Ibaraki Prefecture, Sakuragawa is bordered by

Tochigi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...

to the north. The city is lined by mountains along its east side, named Tomiya, Amabiki, Kaba and Ashio, from north to south.

Mt. Tsukuba is an mountain located at the northern-end of Tsukuba, Japan. It is one of the most famous mountains in Japan, particularly well known for its double peaks, and . Many people climb the so-called "purple mountain" every year for the panora ...

dominates the southern side, although it is not located within the borders of the city. The eponymous Sakuragawa River has its source in the Iwase area of the city.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture * Kasama *

Ishioka 260px, Ishioka City Hall is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 72,351 in 28,291 households and a population density of 336 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was ...

Tsukuba is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 244,528 in 108,669 households and a population density of 862 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 20.3%. The total ar ...

* Chikusei Tochigi Prefecture * Mashiko * Mooka * Motegi

Climate

Sakuragawa has a

Humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Sakuragawa is 13.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1355 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.5 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,Sakuragawa population statistics
/ref> the population of Sakuragawa has declined in recent decades.

History

The city of Sakuragawa was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of the towns of Iwase (in the north), Makabe (in the south) with the village of

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan. Japanese his ...

(in the center). Iwase was formerly from Nishiibaraki District, while Makabe and Yamato were formerly from Makabe District.

Government

Sakuragawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...

city council of 18 members. Sakuragawa contributes one member to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of

Ibaraki 1st district Ibaraki 1st district (茨城県第1区, ''Ibaraki-ken dai-ikku'' or simply 茨城1区, ''Ibaraki-ikku'') is a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives in the national Diet of Japan. It is located in the central region of Ibaraki ...

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 Sakuragawa is primarily agricultural. Stone quarrying is also important.

Education

Sakuragawa has nine public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education. There is also one private middle school and one private high school.

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 ...

–

Mito Line The is a railway line connecting Oyama Station in Tochigi Prefecture and Tomobe Station in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The line is long and is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Joban Line E501 series and E531 ...

* - -

Highway

* – Sakuragawa-Nishi Interchange *

Local attractions

*Makabe old town with 104 buildings listed as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties * Amibiki Kannon * Makabe Doll Festival * "Tsukuba Ring-Ring Road" – a bicycle road connecting Iwase to Tsukuba along a former railway line.

Noted people from Sakuragawa

Tamon Hasegawa is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). He was elected to the House of Councillors for the first time in 2007 after serving in the assembly of Ibaraki Pref ...

, politician *

Megu Sakuragawa is a Japanese singer, voice actress, and drummer from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. She is better known as Tsubasa Kira from ''Love Live!'' and Ako Udagawa from ''BanG Dream!'', the latter of which involves playing drums for the band Roselia. She i ...

, voice actress

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Ibaraki Prefecture