Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki
Encyclopedia
is a city
located on the Pacific Ocean
in Ibaraki
, Japan
, between the cities of Hitachi
and Iwaki
.
As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population
of 46,465, with a household
number of 17,438 and the density
of 249.08 persons per km². The total area is 186.55 km².
The city was founded on March 31, 1956 as the fifteenth city in Ibaraki Prefecture is located in the northern most part of the Prefecture. Neighboring Takahagi to the south and Iwaki City of Fukushima Prefecture to the Northwest. Approximately 80% of the total area is mountainous forest. The eastern region is low ground facing the ocean with spacious open flatland along the Okita and Satone Rivers. Agriculture and fishing have been prominent since ancient times. But with the discovery of coal power, it became centered around the Joban Coal Field.
The city name means 'Kita' is that 'North', and 'Ibara' is meaning 'Rose' or literary 'Brier', also 'ki' is a 'Castle'. Kitaibaraki-shi means North Rose Castle-City.
It was seriously affected by the tsunami
from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.
Near to Otsu port is the scenic Istuura coastline. This area is famous for Rokkakudo, a six sided red house built by Tenshin Okakura. The Tenshin Memorial Museum, with regularly updated exhibits, offers visitors a glance at various schools of Japanese art.
A glass workshop sits on top of Mount Akane, in the town of Hanakawa. The workshop, called Silica, is named after silica sand, which is what glass is made from. Visitors to Silica can try their hand at making various objects, such as vases or glass cups.
The Ofuna-Matsuri, the seafarer's festival, is held only once every five years. The first weekend in May, the festival is a prayer for large fish catches and protection from the clutches of the sea. A decorated ship is pulled by the seamen through the town toward a Shinto shrine. Last held on May 3, 2009, the next will be in 2014.
August 16 is the last day of Obon (festival of the dead). On this day around 6 a.m., families celebrating Obon for the first time gather at Otsu Port for Bonbune Nagashi. Miniature fishing boats laden with vegetables are paraded in the port, and afterwards lanterns are let out to see in order to guide home the spirits of the dead.
A recent addition to Kitaibaraki's festival culture is the Kitaibaraki Citizen's Festival, held yearly on the last Saturday of August. There is a dance contest and fireworks.
The 'Ujo no Sato Minato Matsuri' (port festival) is held in the beginning of November at Otsu Port. There are various cultural exhibits along with food and game stalls. There is also a demonstration of how to carve an angler fish.
and Joban Expressway
, both of which connect it to Tokyo
, Mito
and Iwaki
. The Kitaibaraki exit of the Joban expressway gets off in the town of Isohara. The closest airport is a which of Fukushima Airport
or Ibaraki Airport.
Route 6, a popular trucker route from Sendai to Tokyo, also goes down through Kitaibaraki, but is often plagued with traffic.
There are three train stations in Kitaibaraki, all of which on the Joban train line. Ōtsukō Station
, the farthest north, is in the town of Otsu. Isohara Station
, the biggest of the three stations, is your best bet to catch a Super Hitachi train north or south. A Super Hitachi train from Isohara station to Ueno station takes roughly 2 hours.
There are also various bus lines.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
in Ibaraki
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, between the cities of Hitachi
Hitachi, Ibaraki
is a city located on the Pacific Ocean in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Its name could be directly translated as "sunrise", but probably more appropriately adapted to "prosperous wealth" .-Demographics:...
and Iwaki
Iwaki, Fukushima
is a city located in the southern part of the Hamadōri coastal region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.A designated "core city", Iwaki is also one of the growing number of hiragana cities. Its area is 1,231.35 km², making it the 10th largest city in Japan...
.
As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 46,465, with a household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
number of 17,438 and the density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 249.08 persons per km². The total area is 186.55 km².
The city was founded on March 31, 1956 as the fifteenth city in Ibaraki Prefecture is located in the northern most part of the Prefecture. Neighboring Takahagi to the south and Iwaki City of Fukushima Prefecture to the Northwest. Approximately 80% of the total area is mountainous forest. The eastern region is low ground facing the ocean with spacious open flatland along the Okita and Satone Rivers. Agriculture and fishing have been prominent since ancient times. But with the discovery of coal power, it became centered around the Joban Coal Field.
The city name means 'Kita' is that 'North', and 'Ibara' is meaning 'Rose' or literary 'Brier', also 'ki' is a 'Castle'. Kitaibaraki-shi means North Rose Castle-City.
It was seriously affected by the tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.
Commerce
Commerce developed during the Edo period along the Tanagura highway, which was also called the 'Road of Salt'. The area flourished with ports for water transportation and coal mining began at the end of the Edo period. The coal industry thrived in the Meiji period (1868–1912), leading at the opening of the Joban line (1897) to transport coal, and Isohara station flourished. Furthermore, a fisheries school was established in Otsu Port.Popular Attractions
Kitaibaraki is well known for its variety of seafood. Two ports, Hirakata and Otsu, bring in fresh catches daily. A popular winter dish is Anko-nabe, a hot pot consisting of Angler fish and vegetables.Near to Otsu port is the scenic Istuura coastline. This area is famous for Rokkakudo, a six sided red house built by Tenshin Okakura. The Tenshin Memorial Museum, with regularly updated exhibits, offers visitors a glance at various schools of Japanese art.
A glass workshop sits on top of Mount Akane, in the town of Hanakawa. The workshop, called Silica, is named after silica sand, which is what glass is made from. Visitors to Silica can try their hand at making various objects, such as vases or glass cups.
Festivals
Kitaibaraki has many festivals handed down from ancient times. The Sasara of Hanazono Shrine is a Shishi Mai (ritual dance with a lion's mask) with a 900 year-tradition. This dance can be seen yearly on May 5 at the Hanazono Shrine.The Ofuna-Matsuri, the seafarer's festival, is held only once every five years. The first weekend in May, the festival is a prayer for large fish catches and protection from the clutches of the sea. A decorated ship is pulled by the seamen through the town toward a Shinto shrine. Last held on May 3, 2009, the next will be in 2014.
August 16 is the last day of Obon (festival of the dead). On this day around 6 a.m., families celebrating Obon for the first time gather at Otsu Port for Bonbune Nagashi. Miniature fishing boats laden with vegetables are paraded in the port, and afterwards lanterns are let out to see in order to guide home the spirits of the dead.
A recent addition to Kitaibaraki's festival culture is the Kitaibaraki Citizen's Festival, held yearly on the last Saturday of August. There is a dance contest and fireworks.
The 'Ujo no Sato Minato Matsuri' (port festival) is held in the beginning of November at Otsu Port. There are various cultural exhibits along with food and game stalls. There is also a demonstration of how to carve an angler fish.
Transportation
Kitaibaraki is located on the Joban LineJoban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi...
and Joban Expressway
Joban Expressway
The , abbreviated , is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming:Jōban is a kanji acronym consisting of two characters...
, both of which connect it to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Mito
Mito, Ibaraki
is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and has a central location, moderately offset towards the coast in that prefecture. As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 263,748 and a total area is 217.45 km², giving a population density of 1,212.91 persons per km²...
and Iwaki
Iwaki, Fukushima
is a city located in the southern part of the Hamadōri coastal region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.A designated "core city", Iwaki is also one of the growing number of hiragana cities. Its area is 1,231.35 km², making it the 10th largest city in Japan...
. The Kitaibaraki exit of the Joban expressway gets off in the town of Isohara. The closest airport is a which of Fukushima Airport
Fukushima Airport
, is an airport serving Sukagawa, a city in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan. The airport is located southeast of Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama.A popular TV drama, Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World, was filmed there.-Airlines and destinations:...
or Ibaraki Airport.
Route 6, a popular trucker route from Sendai to Tokyo, also goes down through Kitaibaraki, but is often plagued with traffic.
There are three train stations in Kitaibaraki, all of which on the Joban train line. Ōtsukō Station
Otsuko Station
is a train station in Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.- Adjacent stations :...
, the farthest north, is in the town of Otsu. Isohara Station
Isohara Station
is a train station in Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Nanatsu no Ko is used as the departure melody.- Adjacent stations :...
, the biggest of the three stations, is your best bet to catch a Super Hitachi train north or south. A Super Hitachi train from Isohara station to Ueno station takes roughly 2 hours.
There are also various bus lines.