is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

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 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. , the city had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 26,063 in 10,849 households and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

of 365 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 32.9%. The total area of the city is . It is known for its annual iris festival (Itako Ayame Matsuri). Much of the city is within the borders of the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park.

Geography

Itako is located in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, bordered by

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, 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 ...

to the south, and sandwiched between

Lake Kasumigaura is the second-largest lake in Japan, located 60 km to the north-east of Tokyo. In a narrower sense and officially, Lake Kasumigaura refers to a waterbody with an area of 167.63 km2. In a wider sense, Lake Kasumigaura can also refer ...

to the west and Lake Kitaura to the east. The

Tone River The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano River) and has a drainage area of (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (); ''Bandō'' is an obsolete alias of the ...

also flows through the city, which has been noted since the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

for its network of canals. The city is approximately 80 kilometres north of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Surrounding municipalities

Chiba Prefecture * Katori Ibaraki Prefecture * Inashiki * Kashima * Kamisu * Namegata

Climate

Itako 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 cold ...

(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Itako is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1455 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.3 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Itako peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly since.

History

The town of Itako was established within Namegata District with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Itako merged with the neighboring villages of Tsuwa, Nobukata and Ouhara on February 11, 1955. It was raised to city status on April 1, 2001, by absorbing the town of Ushibori.

Government

Itako 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 consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

city council of 16 members. Itako contributes one member to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 2nd district of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

*Aiyu Sake Brewery (愛友酒造) has been producing sake since 1804.

Education

The education system in Itako, Ibaraki, is structured and comprehensive, reflecting Japan's commitment to quality education. Itako has six public elementary schools and four public junior high schools that provide compulsory education for children aged 6 to 15, ensuring free tuition and access to textbooks. For senior high school, there is one public institution where students must pass entrance exams for admission, with tuition fees applicable. The city also offers various options for part-time and correspondence courses to accommodate diverse student needs. Higher education opportunities are available at nearby institutions, such as Ibaraki University, which provides a range of academic programs. Additionally, financial support is accessible for low-income families at all educational levels, helping to ensure that all children have the opportunity to pursue their education without financial barriers. Overall, Itako's education system emphasizes accessibility, quality, and community support.

Transportation

Railway

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...

– Kashima Line * –

Bus

* Suigō-Itako Bus Terminal

Highway

* – Itako IC * *

Local attractions

*Chōshō-ji Buddhist temple *Inariyama Park *Junikyo Bridges *Kongenyama park *Nihonmatsu-dera Buddhist temple *Road Station Itako *Suigo Dragonfly Park *Suigo Hokusai Park *Suigo Itako Iris Gardens

Notable people from Itako

*Tatsuya Kawahara, professional football player * Kenji Koyano, professional football player * Keita Sugimoto, professional football player * Mitsuo Yanagimachi, movie director

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Ibaraki Prefecture Populated places established in 1955 1955 establishments in Japan Itako, Ibaraki