Ryūgasaki, Ibaraki

Ryūgasaki (龍ケ崎市, Ryūgasaki-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the city had an estimated population of 76,218 in 32,714 households and a population density of 970 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.4%.[1] The total area of the city is 78.59 square kilometres (30.34 sq mi).

For the fictional character Takashi Ryuugasaki, see Cyber Team in Akihabara § Other_significant_characters.
Ryūgasaki

龍ケ崎市
City
Ryūgasaki city hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Ryūgasaki in Ibaraki Prefecture
Ryūgasaki
 
Coordinates: 35°54′41.6″N 140°10′56.3″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureIbaraki
Area
 • Total78.55 km2 (30.33 sq mi)
Population
 (October 2020)
 • Total76,218
 • Density970/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreePinus
- FlowerPlatycodon grandiflorus
- BirdSwan
Phone number0297-64-1111
Address3710 Banchi, Ryūgasaki-shi, Ibaraki-ken 301-8611
WebsiteOfficial website

Geography

Ryūgasaki is located in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, in the low-lying flatlands south of Lake Kasumigaura. The Kokai River runs through the western part of the city, and the basin is dotted with tributaries and lakes. Lake Ushiku, despite its name, is entirely within the city of Ryūgasaki.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture

Climate

Ryūgasaki has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ryūgasaki is 14.3 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1330 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.5 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Ryūgasaki has been increasing rapidly over the past 50 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1950 34,528—    
1960 33,581−2.7%
1970 37,267+11.0%
1980 43,132+15.7%
1990 57,238+32.7%
2000 76,923+34.4%
2010 80,340+4.4%

History

The name "Ryūgasaki" can be traced back to 1182 when the samurai clan ruling the territory adopted "Ryūgasaki" as their family name. The northern half of the city was an exclave of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, the region joined Miyazaku Prefecture in 1869 before merging with Ibaraki Prefecture in 1875. The southern portion of the city was part of Kitasōma District in Shimōsa Province, as the boundary between Shimōsa and Hitachi Province had been established in the Nara period as the Tone River. However, by the Meiji period, the course of the river had shifted, leaving the area of present-day southern Ryūgasaki on the northern bank of the river. This area was transferred to Ibaraki Prefecture in 1875

The town of Ryūgasaki was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

The city was formed on March 20, 1954, when the aforementioned town merged with: Nareshiba, Ōmiya, Yabara, Nagato, Kawarashiro and Kitamonma. In February 1955, the city grew to its present size when a proportion of Takasu merged with the city.[4]

In 1974, the city adopted the Swan, the Pinus, and Platycodon grandiflorus as its city symbols for bird, tree and flower respectively.[5]

Government

Ryūgasaki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Ryūgasaki, together with neighboring Tone, contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The current mayor is Kazuo Nakayama, who assumed the position on January 18, 2010. Nakayama is the seventeenth and eighteenth mayor of Ryūgasaki having been re-elected to hold the position again from January 18, 2014.[6]

Economy

New Central Airlines, a commuter airline, is headquartered in the city, on the grounds of Ryūgasaki Airfield, although no commercial flights are scheduled from the city.[7][8]

Education
  • Ryutsu Keizai University
  • Ryūgasaki has 11 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government. There are one public middle school and three public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education as well as one private high school.

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Jōban Line

  • Sanuki

Kantō Railway - Ryūgasaki Line

Highway

Airport

Noted people from Ryūgasaki

References
  1. "Ibaraki prefectural official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Ryūgasaki climate data
  3. Ryūgasaki population statistics
  4. 平成25年　統計りゅうがさき [2013 Statistics, Ryūgasaki] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Ryūgasaki City. p. 2. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  5. 市民憲章、市章、市の花・木・鳥 [Townspeople's charter, city symbol, the city's flower, tree and bird] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Ryūgasaki City. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  6. 平成25年　統計りゅうがさき [2013 Statistics, Ryugasaki] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Ryūgasaki City. p. 59. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  7. "The Kawada Group." Kawada Industries. Retrieved on February 21, 2010.
  8. "路線外運行." New Central Airlines. Retrieved on February 21, 2010. "お問い合わせは 〒３０１－０８０６　茨城県竜ヶ崎市半田町３１７７ 竜ヶ崎飛行場内"
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