Ishioka, Ibaraki

Ishioka (石岡市, Ishioka-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, 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 33.5%.[1] The total area of the city is 215.53 square kilometres (83.22 sq mi).

"Ishioka" redirects here. For the surname, see Ishioka (surname).
Ishioka

石岡市
City
Upper: Lake Kasumigaura, Mt Tsukuba
Middle: Ishioka festival, Mt Kabasan, lower: Ishioka street scene
Flag
Seal
Location of Ishioka in Ibaraki Prefecture
Ishioka
 
Coordinates: 36°11′27″N 140°17′14″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureIbaraki
Area
 • Total215.53 km2 (83.22 sq mi)
Population
 (October 2020)
 • Total72,351
 • Density340/km2 (870/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeCastanopsis
- FlowerLilium
- BirdEurasian skylark
Phone number0299-23-1111
Address1-1-1 Ishioka, Ishioka-shi, Ibakaki-ken 315-8640
WebsiteOfficial website
Ishioka City Hall

Geography

Inashiki is located in central Ibaraki Prefecture, approximately 70 kilometers north of central Tokyo. It is bordered by Lake Kasumigaura to the south and by mountains on all other sides. The urban area of the city is in the east.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture

Climate

Ishioka has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ishioka is 13.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1331 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.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Ishioka has remained relatively stable over the past 40 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 46,587—    
1930 51,907+11.4%
1940 54,093+4.2%
1950 68,962+27.5%
1960 65,428−5.1%
1970 66,941+2.3%
1980 76,137+13.7%
1990 80,035+5.1%
2000 83,119+3.9%
2010 79,713−4.1%

History

During the Nara period, the provincial capital of Hitachi Province was located in what is now part of the city of Ishioka. The area was known as Hitachi-Fuchū (常陸府中), or simply as “Fuchū” for most of history and developed as a castle town during the Edo period for Hitachi-Fuchū Domain. The domain was renamed “Ishioka Domain” in 1869. With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889 after the Meiji restoration, the town of Ishioka was created. Much of the town was destroyed in a fire of March 14, 1929.

Ishioka was raised to city status on February 11, 1954. The new city annexed the neighboring villages of Mi and Sekigawa on December 1, 1954. On October 1, 2005, the town of Yasato (from Niihari District) was merged into Ishioka.

Government

Ishioka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Ishioka contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Ishioka has a diverse economy. Agriculture includes lotus roots, which are cultivated around Lake Kasumigaura, tobacco, and horticulture such as persimmons, mandarin oranges, and strawberries cultivated at the foot of Mount Tsukuba. In addition, the countryside is one of the leading rice areas in Ibaraki prefecture. Pig farming and chicken farming and dairy farming are also major agricultural contributors. The city has an industrial park, with factories owned by Panasonic and Toyo Seikan, among others. Sake brewing is a traditional local industry, as is the manufacturing of incense sticks.

Education

Ishioka has 19 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government, and three 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 – Jōban Line

Highway

Local attractions

National Historic Monuments
  • site of Hitachi Kokubun-ji
  • site of Hitachi Kokufu ruins
  • Funazukayama Kofun
  • Kawaratsuka kiln ruins
  • Sakura Azumao Former Residence

Notable people from Ishioka

References
  1. "Ibaraki prefectural official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Ishioka climate data
  3. Ishioka population statistics

Media related to Ishioka, Ibaraki at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.