Omitama, Ibaraki
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Ibaraki
, Japan
. The city was formed on March 27, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Ogawa
and Minori
, both from Higashiibaraki District
, and the village of Tamari
, from Niihari District
. The new city takes its name from a merger of the three older town and village names from which it is formed, Ogawa, MInori, TAMAri.
The towns merged under the Municipal Mergers Special Measures Law which expired on 31st March 2005. The law was designed to encourage smaller towns and villages, (often burdened with debt) to merge with their neighbors to create more efficient local government structures and school districts. Some of the smallest municipalities in Japan had as few as 200 residents and were bureaucratically inefficient.
The neighboring city of Ishioka was initially involved in the merger talks, however, Ishioka's demands for naming rights and its extremely high debt levels led to Ogawa, Tamari and Minori continuing the talks without the city and forming their own municipality. Ishioka later merged with Yasato in October 2005, and the combined area of Yasato and Ishioka is now called Ishioka City.
As of April 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population
of 53,599 and the density
of 382 persons per km². The total area is 140.21 km².
Hyakuri Airfield
, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force
base, is located in Omitama. A new civil-aviation airport with domestic service to Naha, Fukuoka
, Osaka
, and Sapporo opened in March 2010 in the Ogawa section of Omitama.
The airfield will then be shared between the Air Self Defense Forces and the new airport. Ibaraki Airport is aimed at domestic and low cost international carriers. So far Asiana Airlines
operates the only international route, with a daily flight to/from Incheon
(Seoul) in South Korea.
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 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...
. The city was formed on March 27, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Ogawa
Ogawa, Ibaraki
Ogawa, Ibaraki may refer to:* Ogawa-machi, town in Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki Prefecture* Ogawa-mura, village in Naka District, Ibaraki Prefecture...
and Minori
Minori, Ibaraki
was a town located in Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki, Japan.On March 27, 2006 Minori was merged with the town of Ogawa, also from Higashiibaraki District, and the village of Tamari, from Niihari District, to form the new city of Omitama....
, both from Higashiibaraki District
Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki
is a district located in Ibaraki, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 122,478 and a density of 284 persons per km². The total area is 431.44 km².-Towns and villages:*Ibaraki*Ōarai*Shirosato-Mergers:...
, and the village of Tamari
Tamari, Ibaraki
was a village located in Niihari District, Ibaraki, Japan.On March 27, 2006 Tamari was merged with the towns of Ogawa and Minori, both from Higashiibaraki District, to form the new city of Omitama...
, from Niihari District
Niihari District, Ibaraki
Niihari was a district located in Ibaraki, Japan. The district was dissolved on March 27, 2006.The district has only one village before dissolution.* Tamari-Timeline :...
. The new city takes its name from a merger of the three older town and village names from which it is formed, Ogawa, MInori, TAMAri.
The towns merged under the Municipal Mergers Special Measures Law which expired on 31st March 2005. The law was designed to encourage smaller towns and villages, (often burdened with debt) to merge with their neighbors to create more efficient local government structures and school districts. Some of the smallest municipalities in Japan had as few as 200 residents and were bureaucratically inefficient.
The neighboring city of Ishioka was initially involved in the merger talks, however, Ishioka's demands for naming rights and its extremely high debt levels led to Ogawa, Tamari and Minori continuing the talks without the city and forming their own municipality. Ishioka later merged with Yasato in October 2005, and the combined area of Yasato and Ishioka is now called Ishioka City.
As of April 1, 2006, 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 53,599 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 382 persons per km². The total area is 140.21 km².
Hyakuri Airfield
Hyakuri Airfield
Ibaraki Airport is an airport in the city of Omitama, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It also serves as air base for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force under the name Hyakuri Air Base. The airport was known as prior to March 2010, when civil aviation operations began...
, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems...
base, is located in Omitama. A new civil-aviation airport with domestic service to Naha, Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, and Sapporo opened in March 2010 in the Ogawa section of Omitama.
The airfield will then be shared between the Air Self Defense Forces and the new airport. Ibaraki Airport is aimed at domestic and low cost international carriers. So far Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines Inc. is one of South Korea's two major airlines, along with Korean Air. Asiana has its headquarters in Asiana Town in Osoe-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul...
operates the only international route, with a daily flight to/from Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
(Seoul) in South Korea.