Ushiku, Ibaraki

Ushiku (牛久市, Ushiku-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2020, the city had an estimated population of 84,675 in 35,082 households and a population density of 1437 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 29.5%.[1] The total area of the city is 58.92 square kilometres (22.75 sq mi).

Ushiku

牛久市
City
Ushiku city hall
Flag
Seal
Location of Ushiku in Ibaraki Prefecture
Ushiku
 
Coordinates: 35°58′45.7″N 140°8′58.4″E
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureIbaraki
Area
 • Total58.92 km2 (22.75 sq mi)
Population
 (October 2020)
 • Total84,675
 • Density1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeOsmanthus fragrans
- FlowerChrysanthemum
- BirdJapanese bush warbler
Phone number029-873-2111
Address3-15-1 Chuo, Ushiku-shi, Ibaraki-ken 300-1292
WebsiteOfficial website

Geography

Ushiku is located in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, in the low-lying marshy flatlands south of Lake Kasumigaura. It is about 50 kilometers from central Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities

Climate

Ushiku has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ushiku is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1304 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 3.0 °C.[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Ushiku rapidly increased over the past 40 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 9,589—    
1930 10,108+5.4%
1940 10,994+8.8%
1950 15,176+38.0%
1960 16,131+6.3%
1970 19,372+20.1%
1980 40,164+107.3%
1990 60,693+51.1%
2000 73,258+20.7%
2010 81,694+11.5%

History

The area of Ushiku developed as a castle town around Ushiku Domain, a minor feudal holding under the Tokugawa shogunate in the Edo period. The village of Ushiku was created after the Meiji restoration with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On January 1, 1954 it was elevated to town status and to city status on June 1, 1986.

On January 31, 2020, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit 6 Kilometre west of the town. The official time of the earthquake was 17:07:47 (UTC). [4]

Government

Ushiku has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Ushiku 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.

Economy

Ushiku is a local commercial center and has a small industrial park. It is also a bedroom community for Tokyo Metropolis. However, the local economy remains based on agriculture, primarily rice cultivation.

Education

Ushiku has eight public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education. The city also has one private combined middle/high school.

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Jōban Line

Highway

Sister city relations

Local attractions
  • Ushiku Daibutsu, one of the world's tallest statues
  • Chateau Kamiya, a wine chateau started in 1901
  • Ushikunuma, a scenic lake that is said to be the birthplace of the mythical kappa beast.
  • Higashi Nihon Immigration Center, Japan's largest detention center for the incarceration of immigrants.[8]

Notable people

References
  1. "Ibaraki prefectural official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. Ushiku climate data
  3. Ushiku population statistics
  4. "M 5.3 - 6km W of Ushiku, Japan". Earthquake.gov. National Earthquake Center. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  5. "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  6. "Sister City Exchange Program - Ushiku, Japan". Whitehorse, The Wilderness City. Whitehorse, Yukon official home page. 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  7. "Sister Cities". Orange City Council, Australia's Colour City. Orange City official home page. 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  8. "Detainees' families fighting for dignity — and hugs | The Japan Times". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.