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 138,033 in 60,069 households and a population density of 1123 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.7%. The total area of the city is . About 3,000 residents are non-Japanese, a large proportion of which are Filipinos, Chinese, and Brazilians.

Geography

Located in southwestern Ibaraki Prefecture, Tsuchiura is situated along the western shores of Lake Kasumigaura, the second largest lake in Japan. The Tokyo metropolis lies about 60 km to the south, and

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 ...

science city borders Tsuchiura to the west.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture *

Ushiku is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 84,675 in 35,082 households and a population density of 1437 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.5%. The total area of the ...

* Kasumigaura *

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 33. ...

Ami AMI or Ami may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media *AMI-tv, a Canadian TV channel **AMI-télé, the French-language version * AMI-audio, a Canadian audio broadcast TV service *''Ami Magazine'', an Orthodox Jewish news magazine Businesses ...

Climate

Tsuchiura has a Humid continental climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tsuchiura is 13.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1286 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Tsuchiura has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

History

Premodern era

Human settlement in the Tsuchiura area dates to the

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 ...

period. Hunter-gatherers inhabited the coastal area of the Pacific Ocean (now Lake Kasumigaura) forming large shell middens, examples of which can be seen at the Kamitakatsu archeological site. Locals began wet-rice cultivation and development of iron and bronze technology during the Yayoi period and in the

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

numerous Burial mounds were constructed in the area. During the Nara period the area was organized under the Taihō Code with what is now Tsuchiura occupying four districts of Hitachi Province. In 939, during the Heian period, Taira no Masakado lead an uprising against the central government by attacking the provincial capital at

, a few kilometers to the north of Tsuchiura. During the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle betwee ...

and the Sengoku period, the area was dominated by several samurai clans. During the Edo period, part of what is now Tsuchiura was administered as a castle town by Tsuchiura Domain, one of the feudal domains of the Tokugawa shogunate. The area prospered due to its position on the Mito Kaidō, a highway connecting

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 ...

with

Mito Mito may refer to: Places *Mito, Ibaraki, capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan *Mito, Aichi, a Japanese town *Mito, Shimane, a Japanese town * Mitō, Yamaguchi, a Japanese town * Mito District, a district in the province of Concepción, Per ...

and with a canal connecting Lake Kasumigaura to

Edo 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 ...

Modern period

With the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration on April 1, 1889, the town of Tsuchiura was established within Ibaraki Prefecture. In 1895 railroad service was started in Tsuchiura. The Gothic Revival architecture of the old junior high school from this period can be seen at the Daiichi high school. Tsuchiura was elevated to city status when the towns of Manabe and Tsuchiura were merged on November 3, 1940. The city suffered damage during an air raid on June 10, 1945 during World War II. On September 1, 1951, Tsuchiura absorbed parts of the village of Asahi (on the shores of Arakawa) and absorbed the village of Towa. The city later absorbed the village of Kamiotsu on November 1, 1954. On February 20, 2006, the village of Niihari (from Niihari District) was merged into Tsuchiura.

Government

The city is managed by the mayor's office and the city council, essentially a mayor-council government. The mayor is elected through a citywide election and the city council are elected from their respective districts. The mayor's office is made up of the Mayor, Kiyoshi Nakagawa (中川清), and Vice mayors, Hideaki Goto (五頭英明) and Hiroshi Koizumi (小泉祐司). The 28-member city council is headed by Chairperson Kiyoshi Yaguchi (矢口清). Tsuchiura's political system is similar to other cities in Japan, as the Local Autonomy Law makes all municipalities uniform in terms of power and organization. Tsuchiura contributes three members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 6th district 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

Tsuchiura was formerly the center of commerce in southern Ibaraki Prefecture due to its good rail connections and location on Lake Kasumigaura. It was also the location of a major base of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Corps both before and during the war. In the postwar era, the development of the Japanese national highway system, selection of neighboring Tsukuba as a center for government investment and development, and increasing suburbanization has resulted in the closure of many department stores and commercial facilities in the center of the city. The city has several industrial parks. Present land usage is over 30% agricultural, with lotus root as a famous local crop.

Education

Tsukuba International University is a private university in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, established in 1994. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1946. The affiliated was established in 1966. External links Official website
Educational institutio ...

*Tsuchiura has 16 public elementary schools and seven public middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one private elementary school, one combined middle/high school and three private high schools. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

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 ...

– Jōban Line * - -

Highway

* – Sakura-Tsuchiura Interchange, Tsuchiura-Kita Interchange * * *

Sister city relations

* – Palo Alto, California, USA, since 2009 * – Friedrichshafen, Germany, since 1994

Local attractions

*site of

Tsuchiura Castle is a flatland-style Japanese castle located in Tsuchiura, southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Tsuchiura Castle was home to the Tsuchiya clan, ''daimyō'' of Tsuchiura Domain. The castle was also known as . History ...

*Tsuchiura National Fireworks Competition

Noted people

* Kazuhiko Nishijima, physicist *

Takeshi Terauchi , also known as Terry, was a Japanese instrumental rock guitarist. His preferred guitar was a black Mosrite with a white pickguard. His guitar sound was characterized by frenetic picking, heavy use of tremolo picking and frequent use of his gu ...

, musician *

Chiaki Kuriyama is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She is best known in the West for her roles as Takako Chigusa in Kinji Fukasaku's 2000 film '' Battle Royale'' and Gogo Yubari in Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film '' Kill Bill: Volume 1''. Life and career ...

, actress * Haruma Miura, actor, singer * Mari Iijima, singer-songwriter * Junko Minagawa, voice actress * Nobuo Fujita, IJN aviator *

Tomoko Fukumi is a Japanese judoka from Tsukuba University. Fukumi is a 4th dan (rank), dan in judo. She is the only judoka to have beaten Ryoko Tani twice. Later she won the gold medal in the extra-lightweight (-48 kg) division at the 2009 World Judo C ...

, judoka * Takayasu Akira, sumo wrestler * Noriyuki Sugasawa, basketball player * Junichi Saga, local writer and medical doctor * Kasumi, gym leader

In popular media

Celurean City from the Japanese game series

Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of ...

is geographically placed in the real-world location of Tsuchiura City because of the lake nearby.

References

External links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcgrIKoTqbo
and https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11779894/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt (documentary by director Chris Jiménez)
Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Ibaraki Prefecture