is a

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

located in the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north,

Tochigi Prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,897,649 (1 June 2023) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi ...

to the northwest,

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

to the southwest,

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama ...

to the south, and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

to the east. Mito, the capital, is the largest city in Ibaraki Prefecture. Other major cities include Tsukuba,

Hitachi () is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is active in various industries, including digital systems, power and renewable ener ...

, and Hitachinaka. Ibaraki Prefecture is located on Japan's eastern

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

coast to the northeast of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, and is part of the

Greater Tokyo Area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefecture, Gunma, Ibaraki Prefecture, ...

, the most populous

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

in the world. Ibaraki Prefecture features

Lake Kasumigaura is the second-largest lake in Japan, located 60 km to the north-east of Tokyo. In a narrower sense and officially, Lake Kasumigaura refers to a waterbody with an area of 167.63 km2. In a wider sense, Lake Kasumigaura can also refer ...

, the second-largest lake in Japan; the

Tone River The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano River) and has a drainage area of (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (); ''Bandō'' is an obsolete alias of the ...

, Japan's second-longest river and largest

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

; and Mount Tsukuba, one of the most famous mountains in Japan. Ibaraki Prefecture is also home to Kairaku-en, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, and is an important center for the

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

Aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practic ...

History

Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as

Hitachi Province was an old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture.Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa Province, S ...

. In 1871, the name of the province became Ibaraki, and in 1875 it became its current size, by annexing some districts belonging to the extinct

Shimōsa Province was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture as well as the bordering parts of Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo (the parts that used to be located east of the lower reaches of the old Tone River prior to the ...

Paleolithic

In the

Japanese Paleolithic The is the period of human inhabitation in Japan predating the development of pottery, generally before 10,000 BC. The starting dates commonly given to this period are from around 40,000 BC, with recent authors suggesting that there is good evi ...

, humans are believed to have started living in the present-day prefecture area before and after the deposition of the volcanic ash layer from the Aira Caldera about 24,000 years ago. At the bottom of this layer are local tools of polished stone and burnt pebbles.

Asuka period

During the

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...

the provinces of Hitachi and Fusa were created. Later Fusa was divided, among them, the Shimōsa Province.

Muromachi period

At the beginning of the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

, in the 14th century, Kitabatake Chikafusa made of the Oda Castle his field headquarters for over a year, and wrote the Jinnō Shōtōki (Chronicles of the Authentic Lineages of the Divine Emperors), while he was at castle. Ushibori in the Hitachi province

Edo period

During the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, one of the three houses or clans originating from

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

(Gosanke 御三家, three houses), settled in the Mito Domain, the clan is known as the Mito Tokugawa family or simply the Mito clan. Mito Domain, was a Japanese domain of the Edo-period

. In 1657, a '' Mitogaku'' was created when Tokugawa Mitsukuni, head of the Mito Domain, commissioned the compilation of the '' Dai Nihonshi'', a book on the history of Japan.

Meiji period

Meiji era The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feu ...

, during the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

, the political map changes, the old provinces are converted or merged, to create the current prefectures, in this case the Ibaraki Prefecture.

Geography

Ibaraki Prefecture is the northeastern part of the

, stretching between

and the

and bounded on the north and south by Fukushima Prefecture and

. It also has a border on the southwest with

. The northernmost part of the prefecture is mountainous, but most of the prefecture is a flat plain with many lakes and is part of

Kantō Plain The , in the Kantō region of central Honshu, is the largest plain in Japan. Its 17,000 km2 covers more than half of the region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefe ...

Natural parks

, 15% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park, and nine Prefectural Natural Parks. Also, Ibaraki has one Prefectural Geopark. The Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park, also includes the northeast area of Chiba Prefecture.

Mountains

The northern third of the prefecture is mountainous and in the center is the Tsukuba Mountains (筑波山地). Its main mountains are: mount Yamizo with an elevation of 1022 m on the border with Fukushima and Tochigi prefectures (

tripoint A triple border, tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geography, geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or Administrative division, subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints ...

), mount Takasasa with 922 m, mount Tsukuba with two peaks Nyotai-San at 877 m and Nantai-San at 871 m, mount Osho at 804 m, mount Hanazono at 798 m, and mount Kaba at 709 m.

Water system

The main rivers that flow through the prefecture include the Tone, Naka (Ibaraki), and Kuji rivers, all of which flow into the

. Before the seventeenth century, the lower reaches of the Tone were different from its current layout, and the Tone ran south and emptied into

Tokyo Bay is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. Th ...

, and tributaries such as the Watarase and Kinu rivers had independent water systems. The main tributaries of the Tone River basin are the Kinu River and Kokai River, which flow from north to south in the western part of the prefecture. The Shintone and Sakura rivers flow into Lake Nishiura. The Edo River flows into Tokyo Bay; its source currently rises as an arm of the Tone River. In the past, the course of the Edo River was different, its source was corrected and diverted to the Tone River in the 17th century by the Tokugawa shogunate to protect the city of Edo (now Tokyo) from flooding. The Tone River, in addition to the Edo River, is part of the southern border of Ibaraki Prefecture with Chiba Prefecture, and the Watarase River, Tone River, Gongendō River, and Naka River (Saitama) in the southwestern border of Ibaraki with Saitama Prefecture. The Watarase River has become a small boundary of the southern border between Ibaraki and Tochigi prefectures. From ancient times to the beginning of the Edo period, the lower reaches of the Tone River did not exist and the mouth of the Tone was in Tokyo Bay. On the plain was the Katori Sea, which existed in ancient times, the

and other lagoons in present-day Chiba prefecture are remnants of that sea. Katori Sea was connected to the Kashima-nada (Pacific Ocean). Lake Kasumigaura is currently divided into three lakes: Nishiura, Kitaura, Sotonasakaura. In addition, in the prefecture there are freshwater lagoons such as Hinuma, Senba, and Ushiku. Fukuoka Dam, is a dam that spans the Kokai River in Tsukubamirai, it is one of the three largest dams in the Kantō region. Ryūjin Dam in Hitachiōta, is a beautiful dam on the Ryūjin River with a large pedestrian suspension bridge above the dam lake.

Cities

Thirty-two (32) cities are located in Ibaraki Prefecture: * Mito (capital city of the prefecture) * Bandō * Chikusei *

* Hitachinaka * Hitachiōmiya * Hitachiōta * Hokota * Inashiki * Ishioka * Itako *

Jōsō is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 59,314 in 21,168 households and a population density of 480 persons per km2. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 38.8%. The total area of t ...

* Kamisu * Kasama * Kashima * Kasumigaura * Kitaibaraki * Koga * Moriya * Naka * Namegata * Omitama * Ryūgasaki * Sakuragawa * Shimotsuma * Takahagi * Toride * Tsuchiura * Tsukuba * Tsukubamirai * Ushiku * Yūki

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

, 10 towns and 2 villages in 7 districts: * Higashiibaraki District ** Ibaraki ** Ōarai ** Shirosato * Inashiki District ** Ami ** Kawachi ** Miho * Kitasōma District ** Tone * Kuji District ** Daigo * Naka District ** Tōkai * Sashima District ** Goka **

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its '' kofun'', keyhole-shaped burial mounds dating from the fifth century. The ''kofun ...

* Yūki District ** Yachiyo

Mergers

Economy

Ibaraki's economy is based on energy production (particularly nuclear energy), chemical and precision machining industries, research institutes, and tourism. Agriculture, fishing, and livestock are also important sectors in the prefecture. Ibaraki's vast flat terrain make it highly suitable for industrial development. This complements its proximity to the Tokyo metropolitan area, giving it a high reputation as an industrial base. The prefecture is also home to Tsukuba, Japan's most extensive research and academic city, and the birthplace of

, Ltd.

Agriculture

With extensive flat lands, abundant water, and suitable climate, Ibaraki is among the prefectures with the highest agricultural production in Japan. It plays an important role in supplying food to the Tokyo metropolitan area. Its main products include melons, pears, peppers, various varieties of rice and sugar cane, as well as flowers and ornamental plants. It also supplies other food crops to the rest of the country. As of March 2011, the prefecture produced 25% of Japan's bell peppers and Chinese cabbage.

Fishing

It is one of the prefectures with the highest fish production in the country; in the Pacific Ocean, Lake Kasumigaura, other lagoons and rivers, various species of fish are obtained.

Cattle

The Hitachigyū cattle (常陸牛 - ひたちぎゅう - Hitachi-gyū, Hitachi-ushi), which is a prefectural bovine breed, is noteworthy in livestock. The name comes from the kanji 常陸 (Hitachi), the name of the ancient Hitachi Province and 牛 (ushi or gyū, beef). Background. In 1833 Tokugawa Nariaki (徳川斉昭) established the breeding of black cattle in the present Migawa-chō (見川町) of the city of Mito. Originally it remained mainly in the northern part of the prefecture, but later it spread throughout the prefecture. Cyberdyne Inc Building day photo01

Industrial centers

* Hitachi area. Grouping of industries, such as electrical, electronic and machinery. More than 1,300 companies; many of them hired by the

company, which was founded in Sukegawa (

City) in 1910. * Tōkai area. Atomic Energy Research Organization Grouping. J-PARC, Proton Accelerator Research Complex. * Tsukuba area. 32 institutes for education and research. Manipulation of matter at the level of atoms (nanotechnology). Robotic security center for support in daily life. Space center. * Kashima area. Grouping of materials industries, such as steel and petrochemicals, around 160 companies.

Demographics

Ibraki prefecture population pyramid in 2020

Culture

Ibaraki is known for

nattō is a traditional Japanese cuisine, Japanese food made from whole soybeans that have been Fermentation in food processing, fermented with Bacillus subtilis, ''Bacillus subtilis'' var. ''natto''. It is often served as a breakfast food with rice. ...

, or fermented soybeans, in Mito, watermelons in Kyōwa (recently merged into Chikusei), and chestnuts in the Nishiibaraki region. Ibaraki is famous for the martial art of

founded by

Morihei Ueshiba was a Japanese martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art, martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as "the founder" or , "Great Teacher". The son of a landowner from Tanabe, Wakayama, Tanabe, Ueshiba studied a number of ...

, also known as Osensei. Ueshiba spent the latter part of his life in the town of Iwama, now part of Kasama, and the Aiki Shrine and

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

he created still remain. Kasama is famous for

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

( Kasama Inari Shrine), Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum, house museum of the calligrapher and ceramist Kitaōji Rosanjin, Kasama Nichidō Museum of Art, residence of

, founder of the martial art Aikidō. The capital Mito is home to Kairakuen, one of Japan's three most celebrated gardens, and famous for its over 3,000 Japanese plum trees of over 100 varieties. Kashima Shrine (Jingū) Ibaraki's cultural heritage. Mito Tōshō-gū, is the memorial shrine of

in Mito. Seizansō was the retirement villa of Tokugawa Mitsukuni.

Mito Municipal Botanical Park The is a botanical garden located at 504 Kobuki, Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. It is open daily except Mondays; an admission fee is charged. The garden contains a terrace, rock garden, lawn, water features, and greenhouses heated from burning waste in t ...

, is a botanical garden in Mito. Park Ibaraki Nature Museum in Bandō. There are castle ruins in many cities, including Mito Castle, Yūki Castle, Kasama Castle, Tsuchiura Castle, Oda Castle. Hitachi Fūryūmono, a puppet float theater festival, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Makabe Hina Doll Festival - Hinamatsuri - (Sakuragawa City). Yūki-tsumugi (silk weaving technique) Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Kasama ware, Makabe Stone Lamp, Kagami Crystal Glass Factory, old glass factory in Ryūgasaki City.

Education

University

*Ami ** Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences *Hitachi ** Ibaraki Christian University *Mito ** Ibaraki University ** Tokiwa University *Ryūgasaki ** Ryūtsū Keizai University *Toride **

Tokyo University of the Arts or is a school of art and music in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained artists in the fields of painting, sculpture, crafts, inter ...

*Tsuchiura ** Tsukuba International University *Tsukuba ** Tsukuba Gakuin University ** Tsukuba University **

Tsukuba University of Technology , or NTUT, is a national university in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and ex ...

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Ibaraki. Kashima Stadium 1

Association football

Kashima Antlers The are a professional association football, football club based in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. They currently play in the J1 League, the top tier of Japanese professional football leagues. The club has financial backing from Mercari, a Japanese ...

( Kashima) * Mito HollyHock ( Mito) * Tsukuba FC ( Tsukuba)

Volleyball

* Hitachi Rivale (Women's) ( Hitachinaka)

Rugby

* Stags - Kashima Rugby Football Club RFC (Kashima)

American football

* Tsukuba University (Tsukuba)

Baseball

* Ibaraki Astro Planets ( Yūki) ( Baseball Challenge League) * Ibaraki Golden Golds (Regional club) (Tsukuba)

Wrestling

* Hitachi Pro Wrestling (Regional group) (

)

Basketball

* Ibaraki Robots (Mito)

Motorsport

* Tsukuba Circuit ( Shimotsuma)

Tourism

* Fukuroda Falls * Hitachi Seaside Park * Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History * Kairaku-en (garden) * Kashima Shrine *

* Mount Tsukuba * Ōarai Aquarium * Tsukuba Science City *

Ushiku Daibutsu is a statue located in Ushiku, Ibaraki, Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Completed in 1993, it stands a total of tall, including the base and 10 m lotus platform. It held the record for the tallest statue from 1993 to 2008 and , it is the L ...

File:Hobikibune 05.JPG, Hobikibune (Sailboat) on Lake Kasumigaura File:Fukuroda Falls 44.jpg, Fukuroda Falls in Daigo File:Mount Tsukuba 2.jpg, A view of Mount Tsukuba, from Tsukuba City File:Suigo Itako Ayame Garden 07.jpg, A view of Suigō Itako Iris Garden File:Rokkakudo seen from the sea (Kitaibaraki City) 2020.jpg, A view of Rokkakudō and Pacific Ocean in Kitaibaraki File:Oarai Coast 09.jpg,

Torii A is a traditional culture of Japan, Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to ...

of Ōarai Coast File:Miharashino Oka (Hitachi Seaside Park) 17.jpg, Nemophila in spring in Hitachi Seaside Park File:Kairakuen (7125549463).jpg, Kairaku-en File:Kashima-jingu romon gate.jpg, Kashima Shrine File:20100216 acaworld01.jpg, Ōarai Aquarium

Transportation and access

Railways

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

Jōban Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following ...

** Kashima Line **

Mito Line The is a railway line connecting Oyama Station in Tochigi Prefecture and Tomobe Station in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The line is long and is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Joban Line E501 series and E531 ser ...

** Suigun Line ** Utsunomiya Line (

Tōhoku Main Line The Tōhoku Main Line () is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line starts from Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and passes through such cities as Saitama, Saitama, Saitama, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Uts ...

) *Hitachinaka Seaside Railway ** Minato Line * Kantō Railway ** Jōsō Line ** Ryūgasaki Line * Kashima Rinkai Railway ** Kashima Rinkō Line ** Ōarai Kashima Line * Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company **

Tsukuba Express The , or TX, is a Japanese railway line operated by the Third-sector railway, third-sector company Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company, which links Akihabara Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and Tsukuba Station in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. The route was ...

*Mooka Railway ** Mooka Line

Cable cars

*Tsukuba Kankō Railway ** Mount Tsukuba Cable Car ** Mount Tsukuba Ropeway

Bus

Ibaraki Kotsu

Roads

Expressways

* Jōban Expressway * Ken-Ō Expressway * Kita-Kantō Expressway * Higashi-Kantō Expressway

National highways

Ibaraki Prefecture with the following national routes: * National Route 4 (around Koga area) * National Route 6 (

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

-Toride-Tsuchiura-Mito-Hitachi- Iwaki-

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the List of cities in Japan, twelfth most populated city in Japan. ...

) * National Route 50 * National Route 51 (Mito-Kashima-Itako- Narita- Chiba) * National Route 118 * National Route 123 * National Route 124 * National Route 125 ( Katori-Tsuchiura-Tsukuba-Koga- Gyōda- Kumagaya) * National Route 245 * National Route 293 * National Route 294 * National Route 349 * National Route 354 * National Route 355 * National Route 400 (Mito- Nakagawa- Nikko- Minamiaizu- Nishiaizu * National Route 408 * National Route 461

Prefectural routes

Ibaraki Prefecture with more than 300 prefectural routes.

Ports

* Port of Ibaraki ::*Port of Hitachi ::*Port of Hitachinaka ::*Port of Ōarai - Ferry route to Tomakomai, Muroran of

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

* Port of Kashima

Airports

* Ibaraki Airport * Ōtone Airstrip is an airfield located on the Tone River in Kawachi. * Ryūgasaki Airfield * Tsukuba Heliport

Pronunciation

The prefecture is often alternatively pronounced "Ibara''gi'' by those who speak the regional dialect known as Ibaraki-ben. However, the standard pronunciation is "Ibara''ki''. According to the author of "Not Ibara''gi'', Ibara''ki'',いばらぎじゃなくていばらき
'Ibaragi ja Nakute Ibaraki''/ref> this is most likely due to a mishearing of the softening of the "k" sound in Ibaraki dialect.

Sister region

Ibaraki is twinned with: *

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan Encyclopedia''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou. The pres ...

. . .

External links

Ibaraki Prefecture Official Website

{{Coord, 36, 14, N, 140, 17, E, scale:500000, display=title Kantō region Prefectures of Japan