Ibaraki Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture is a part of Japan in the Kantō region of Honshu. It has many people living there and covers a big area of land. The prefecture touches Fukushima to the north, Tochigi to the northwest, Saitama to the southwest, Chiba to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the east.

Mito is the main city and the biggest city of Ibaraki Prefecture. Other important cities are Tsukuba, Hitachi, and Hitachinaka. Because it is near Tokyo, Ibaraki is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, which is a very busy place.

Ibaraki Prefecture has many beautiful natural places. It has Lake Kasumigaura, which is one of the biggest lakes in Japan, and the Tone River, a very long river. Mount Tsukuba is a famous mountain there. The prefecture also has Kairaku-en, a wonderful garden, and is a place where people practice the martial art of Aikido.

History

See also: Historic Sites of Ibaraki Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture used to be called Hitachi Province. In 1871, its name was changed to Ibaraki. In 1875, it grew bigger by adding areas from Shimōsa Province.

Long ago, during the Japanese Paleolithic period, people lived in Ibaraki. This was before and after a big volcano eruption from the Aira Caldera about 24,000 years ago. Scientists found old stone tools from that time.

During the Asuka period, the lands of Hitachi and Fusa were set up as separate areas. Later, Fusa was split up.

At the start of the Muromachi period in the 1300s, a leader named Kitabatake Chikafusa used Oda Castle as his base. While there, he wrote a book called the Jinnō Shōtōki about Japan’s divine emperors.

During the Edo period, an important family from Tokugawa Ieyasu lived in the Mito Domain. This family was called the Mito Tokugawa family or the Mito clan.

In 1657, a learning group called Mitogaku began when Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the leader of Mito Domain, asked people to write a big book about Japan’s history. This book was called the Dai Nihonshi.

During the Meiji Restoration, the old areas were changed to form Ibaraki Prefecture.

Geography

Ibaraki Prefecture is in the northeastern part of the Kantō region. It is between Tochigi Prefecture and the Pacific Ocean. It borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, Chiba Prefecture to the south, and Saitama Prefecture to the southwest. The north of Ibaraki is mountainous. Most of the area is flat with many lakes, part of the Kantō Plain.

The prefecture has many natural parks. Fifteen percent of its land is protected. This includes the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park and nine Prefectural Natural Parks. Ibaraki also has a Prefectural Geopark. The Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park goes into Chiba Prefecture.

The northern part of Ibaraki is mountainous and has the Tsukuba Mountains. Important mountains are mount Yamizo, mount Takasasa, mount Tsukuba with two peaks, mount Osho, mount Hanazono, and mount Kaba.

Several important rivers flow through Ibaraki. These are the Tone, Naka (Ibaraki), and Kuji rivers. They all flow into the Pacific Ocean. Lake Kasumigaura has three parts: Nishiura, Kitaura, and Sotonasakaura. The prefecture also has other lakes like Hinuma, Senba, and Ushiku.

Ibaraki has thirty-two cities. The capital is Mito. Other important cities are Hitachi, Hitachinaka, Hitachiōta, and Tsukuba.

The prefecture also has several towns and villages in different districts.

Main article: List of mergers in Ibaraki Prefecture

Economy

Ibaraki's economy includes energy production, chemicals, machines, research, and tourism. Farming, fishing, and raising animals are also important.

The flat land in Ibaraki is great for building factories. It is close to the big city of Tokyo, which helps its industries grow. The prefecture is home to Tsukuba, a big city for research and learning, and the starting place of Hitachi, Ltd.

Agriculture

With wide flat lands, lots of water, and good weather, Ibaraki is one of the best places in Japan for growing food. It helps feed the people in Tokyo. Main crops include melons, pears, peppers, rice, sugar cane, and flowers.

It also grows other food for the whole country.

Fishing

Ibaraki is one of the top places in Japan for catching fish. Fish come from the Pacific Ocean, Lake Kasumigaura, and other water areas.

Cattle

A special type of cattle called Hitachigyū comes from Ibaraki. This name comes from the old name of the area, Hitachi.

In 1833, a leader named Tokugawa Nariaki started raising black cattle in what is now Migawa-chō in Mito city.

Industrial centers

• Hitachi area: Many factories for electricity, electronics, and machines. Over 1,300 companies; many work for the Hitachi company, started in Sukegawa (Hitachi City) in 1910.
• Tōkai area: Home to groups studying atomic energy. J-PARC, a big place for proton accelerator research.
• Tsukuba area: 32 schools and research places. Work with tiny parts of matter (nanotechnology). A robot center for helping daily life. A space center.
• Kashima area: Many factories for materials like steel and petrochemicals, about 160 companies.

Demographics

Culture

Ibaraki is known for its special foods, like nattō, a type of fermented soybeans, found in Mito. You can also find sweet watermelons in Kyōwa, now part of Chikusei, and tasty chestnuts grown in the Nishiibaraki area.

The area is famous for the martial art Aikido, created by Morihei Ueshiba, also called Osensei. He lived in Iwama, now part of Kasama, where the Aiki Shrine and training hall he built are still visited today.

Mito, the capital, is home to Kairakuen, one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens, known for its many Japanese plum trees. There are also interesting places like the Kasama Inari Shrine, museums, and the old home of Morihei Ueshiba. You can see castle ruins in several cities, including Mito Castle, Kasama Castle, Tsuchiura Castle, and Oda Castle.

Ibaraki also has special traditions such as the Hitachi Fūryūmono puppet float theater and the Makabe Hina Doll Festival, celebrated during Hinamatsuri. Other cultural treasures include Yūki-tsumugi silk weaving, Kasama ware pottery, and beautiful glass items made by the Kagami Crystal Glass Factory in Ryūgasaki City.

Education

University

Ibaraki Prefecture has many universities. Some of them are:

• 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 Gakuin University
  • Tsukuba University
  • Tsukuba University of Technology

Sports

Ibaraki is home to many sports teams. Here are some of the teams you might hear about:

Association football

• 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)

Basketball

• Ibaraki Robots (Mito)

Motorsport

• Tsukuba Circuit (Shimotsuma)

Tourism

Ibaraki Prefecture has many beautiful places to visit. Popular spots include Fukuroda Falls, Hitachi Seaside Park, and Mount Tsukuba.

Other interesting places are Kashima Shrine, Lake Kasumigaura, and Ōarai Aquarium. These spots let visitors enjoy nature, learn about history, and see great views.

Transportation and access

Ibaraki Prefecture has many ways to travel, like trains, buses, and roads. Several railway lines are run by companies such as the East Japan Railway Company and the Kantō Railway.

There are expressways and national highways that connect Ibaraki to other places. The prefecture has ports for ships and airports for planes, but many people use Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports.

Pronunciation

The name of Ibaraki Prefecture might sound like "Ibara_gi_" to some people because of a special local way of talking called Ibaraki-ben. But the correct way to say it is "Ibara_ki_". One writer who studied this thinks it may be because the "k" sound in the local dialect was hard to hear clearly.

Sister region

Ibaraki has a special friendship with a place called Essonne in France. This means they work together and help each other, even though they are far apart.