
is the capital
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 ...
of
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, ...
, in the northern
Kantō region
The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...
of
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 268,036 in 126,055 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 1,233 persons per km
2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 27.1%.
The total area of the city is .
Geography
Mito is located in central Ibaraki Prefecture.
Mito Station is about 10 km inland from the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
which
Naka River, flowing from the north to the east of the city, pours into. Immediately south is
Lake Senba, a recreational area. A main street extends from Mito Station to the west, and residential areas to the south and the west in particular.
Surrounding municipalities
Ibaraki Prefecture
*
Hitachinaka
*
Ibaraki
*
Kasama
*
Naka
*
Ōarai
*
Shirosato
Climate
Mito has a
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Mito is 13.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1353.8 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.0 °C.
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Mito has steadily increased over the past century.
History
The
Yamato people settled in Mito around the 4th century CE. Around the end of the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
,
Baba Sukemoto, a warlord of the
Heike clan, moved to Mito and built a castle there.
Mito Castle changed hands several times after that; coming under the control of the
Satake clan won it in
Sengoku period
The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
, but the Satake were forced to surrender it to
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
in 1603 after the
Battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...
. Ieyasu's son
Tokugawa Yorifusa was then given Mito Castle, becoming head of one of the three "
gosanke" branches of the clan qualified to provide a new
shōgun
, officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
should the main family line fail. During this period, Mito was the seat of the so-called
Mito School, a congregation of nativist scholars of
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...
persuasion led by
Aizawa Seishisai, who during the 18th and 19th centuries advocated
Western learning as a means not only to further Japanese technological development and international strength, but as means to prove
Japanese uniqueness and superiority among nations. The
Kōdōkan was the largest of the
han schools. The capital of
Edo was directly connected to Mito by the
Mito Kaidō.
[Chiba Kokaidō Rekishi Sanpo](_blank)
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Accessed December 28, 2007. The Tokugawa ruled Mito until 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
.
The city of Mito was formed on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was one of the first 31 cities to be established in Japan. With a population of 25,000, it was designated as the prefectural capital of Ibaraki Prefecture. By 1900, the
Jōban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following ...
connected Mito to Tokyo, and by 1910, telephones and electric lighting were available throughout the city. More than three-quarters of the city was burned to the ground during the
Mito air raid of August 2, 1945, just before the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
The borders of Mito expanded in 1955 through 1958 through the annexation of the neighboring villages of Kamiono, Watari, Yoshida, Sakedo, Kawawada, Yanagawa, Kunita and Iitomi and Akatsuka. The village of Tsunezumi was annexed in 1992. In 2001, Mito was designated a
special city with increased local autonomy. The neighboring town of Uchihara was annexed in 2005. The city suffered from severe damage in the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
with 25,982 houses completely or partially destroyed; however, there were only two fatalities.
Mito was designated a
core city
In urban planning, a historic core city or central city is the municipality with the largest 1940 population in the present metropolitan area (metropolitan statistical area). This term was retired by the US census bureau and replaced by the term ...
, with further increases in local autonomy on April 4, 2020.
Government
Mito 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 28 members. Mito contributes six members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the
Ibaraki 1st district and the
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
Mito is primarily a regional commercial center and administrative city as most industry in Ibaraki is concentrated around the nearby cities of
Tsukuba and
Hitachi
() is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is active in various industries, including digital systems, power and renewable ener ...
. Mito has a modest but thriving tourism industry, centered on the Kairaku-en gardens and local museums dedicated to the Tokugawa family.
Education
*
Ibaraki University
*
Tokiwa Junior College
*
Tokiwa University
*Mito has 32 public elementary schools and 15 public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the national government. The city also has one private elementary school and two private middle schools. Mito has seven public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education and seven private high schools, as well as one public and one private high school which offers only night and correspondence courses. The prefecture also operates six special education schools for the handicapped.
*
Ibaraki Korean Primary, Middle and High School, a
North Korean school, is in the city.
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 ...
-
Mito Line /
Jōban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following ...
* - - -
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 ...
–
Suigun Line
*
Kashima Rinkai Railway Ōarai Kashima Line
* - -
Highway
* – Mito Interchange
* – Mito Minami Interchange
* – Mito-Oarai Interchange
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Media
*Ibaraki Shimbun
* Ibaraki Broadcast System
Local attractions
* Mito is the site of the
Japanese garden
are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...
Kairaku-en which is counted as one of the
Three Great Gardens of Japan. Constructed by
Tokugawa Nariaki in 1842, the park is known nationwide for its ''
ume
''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...
'' trees. Many people come to the park in spring to view the blossoms, particularly during the Ume Festival. In summer, Mito also holds the
Mito Koumon Festival.
*
Art Tower Mito
*
The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki
*
Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History
*
Kōdōkan School
*
Lake Senba
*
Mito Castle
*
Mito Municipal Botanical Park
*
Tokiwa Jinja
Professional sports
*
Mito HollyHock,
J. League
*
Ibaraki Robots,
B. League
* Malva FC,
F. League
Sister cities
*
Anaheim
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States, since December 21, 1976
*
Chongqing
ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...
, China, friendship city since June 6, 2000
*
Tsuruga, Japan, since October 10, 1964
*
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "Taiwan Prefecture, ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, friendship city since November 22, 2024
Notable people
*
Kinji Fukasaku
was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking", Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty Yakuza film, yakuza films, typified by the Battles With ...
, movie director
*
Mayumi Gojo, singer
*
Aritomo Gotō, IJN admiral
*Saya Hiyama, news anchor
*
Shin’ichirō Ikebe, musician
*
Mika Katsumura, actress
*
Takashi Koizumi, movie director
*
Takeo Kurita, IJN admiral
*
Musōyama Masashi, sumo wrestler (
Ōzeki)
*
Mitoizumi Masayuki, sumo wrestler (
Sekiwake)
*
Megumi Nakajima
is a Japanese voice actress and singer, who is affiliated with Stay Luck. In 2003, she joined the talent agency Stardust Promotion after passing their audition. Later, in 2007, she debuted as a voice actress and singer after passing an auditi ...
, voice actress, singer
*
Yutaka Nakajima, actor
*Satochi, musician and drummer of Mucc
*
Sugiura Shigemine, World War 2 fighter pilot, worshiped now as a god in
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "Taiwan Prefecture, ...
, Taiwan
*
Teru Shimada, actor
*
Hidenori Shoji,
video game music
Video game music (VGM) is the soundtrack that accompanies video games. Early video game music was once limited to sounds of early sound chips, such as programmable sound generators (PSG) or FM synthesis chips. These limitations have led to t ...
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
*
Yuko Suzuhana, musician
*
Azusa Tadokoro, voice actress, singer
*
Yokoyama Taikan, artist
*
Stomu Takeishi
Stomu Takeishi (born 1964, in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture) is a Japanese experimental and jazz rock bassist. He is known for playing fretless five-string electric bass guitar and a Klein five-string acoustic bass guitar, often using extended techn ...
, musician
*
Hitachiyama Taniemon, sumo wrestler (
Yokozuna
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers ('' rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the o ...
)
*
Tatsuro, musician and singer of
Mucc
is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1997. The classic line up of Tatsuro (singer), Tatsuro on vocals, Miya (musician), Miya on guitar, Yukke on bass, and Satochi on drums was solidified in 1999 foll ...
*
Miyabiyama Tetsushi, sumo wrestler (
Ōzeki)
*
Nobuo Tobita, voice actor
*
Nakamura Tsune, artist
*
Ayase Ueda, footballer
*
Hiroyuki Watanabe, actor
*
Takashi Yagihashi, chef
*
Huwie Ishizaki, singer-songwriter
Gallery
File:Mito Art Tower.JPG, Art Tower Mito
File:MitoPlumFestival.jpg, ''Ume
''Prunus mume'', the Chinese plum or Japanese apricot, is a tree species in the family Rosaceae. Along with bamboo, the plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China, from where it was then introduced to Kor ...
'' Festival at Kairaku-en Park
File:Daidarabou.JPG, Legend of Daidarabotchi
File:水戸・千波湖 - panoramio.jpg, LakeSenba & Duck
File:Senbacho, Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture 310-0851, Japan - panoramio (4).jpg, Lake Senba & Mito city
File:View from Art Tower Mito south.jpg, Downtown of Mito city
References
External links
Official Website
Public Interest Incorporated Foundation The Tokugawa Museum
{{Authority control
Cities in Ibaraki Prefecture
Populated places established in 1889
1889 establishments in Japan