Ibaraki Prefecture

Infobox Prefecture Japan
Name = Ibaraki
JapaneseName = 茨城県
Rōmaji = Ibaraki-ken
Symbol = Symbol of Ibaraki Prefecture.svg
Capital = Mito
Region = Kantō
Island = Honshū
TotalArea = 6,095.58
AreaRank = 23^rd
PCWater = 4.8
PopDate = October 1, 2000
Population = 2,985,424
PopRank = 11^th
Density = 490
Districts = 7
Municipalities = 43
ISOCode = JP-08
Flower = Rose ("Rosa")
Tree = Ume tree ("Prunus mume")
Bird = Eurasian Skylark ("Alauda arvensis")

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Website = [http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/en/menu.htm www.pref.ibaraki.jp/ en/menu.htm]
Governor = Masaru Hashimotonihongo|Ibaraki Prefecture|茨城県|Ibaraki-ken is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region on Honshū island. The capital is Mito.

History

Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province. In 1871, the name of the province became Ibaraki.

Geography

Ibaraki Prefecture is the northeastern part of the Kantō region, stretching between Tochigi Prefecture and the Pacific Ocean and bounded on the north and south by Fukushima Prefecture and Chiba Prefecture. It also has borders on the southwest with Gunma Prefecture and Saitama Prefecture. The northernmost part of the prefecture is mountainous, but most of the prefecture is a flat plain with many lakes.

Cities

Thirty-two cities are located in Ibaraki Prefecture:

Towns and villages

Towns and villages in each district:‡ Scheduled to be dissolved following mergers.

Mergers

Future mergers

Economy

Ibaraki's industries include energy, particularly nuclear energy, production, as well as chemical and precision machining industries. The Hitachi company was founded in the Ibaraki city of the same name.

Demographics

Ibaraki's population is increasing modestly as the Greater Tokyo region spreads out.

Culture

Famous foods of Ibaraki include natto, of Mito, the watermelons produced in Kyowa (recently merged into Chikusei), and the chestnuts grown in the Nishiibaraki region.

Ibaraki is famous for the martial art of Aikido which was founded by Ueshiba Morihei, 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 he created remain there to this day.

There are castle ruins in many cities, including Mito, Kasama, and Yuki.

Kasama is also famous for its Shinto and art culture, and pottery.

The capital Mito is home to Kairakuen, one of a trinity of Japan's most celebrated gardens, and famed for its plum forest of over 3,000 plum trees of over 100 varieties.

Politics

In a Japan times article on August 28, 2007 activist Debito Arudou criticized the Ibaraki Prefectural Government over a poster, which, according to Arudou, scapegoated foreigners. The poster showed six Japanese police in riot gear pushing a lone foreigner to the ground. The poster carries writing telling Japanese to be on the lookout for foreigners violating their visa conditions; Arudou stated that it stigmatized foreigners in general. [ [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070828zg.html The blame game | The Japan Times Online ] ]

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Ibaraki.

Football (soccer)

*Kashima Antlers (Kashima)
*Mito HollyHock (Mito)
*Ryutsu Keizai University F.C. (Ryugasaki)

Volleyball

*Hitachi Sawa Rivale (Hitachinaka)

Tourism

* Kairakuen Park
* Mount Tsukuba
* Kashima Shrine

Prefectural symbols

Pronunciation

The prefecture is often mispronounced "Ibara"gi". However, the correct 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") [http://www.excite.co.jp/News/bit/00091111474553.html] , this is most likely due to a mishearing of the softening of the 'k' sound in Ibaraki dialect. It is mispronounced to such a degree that it has nearly become standard.

References

External links

* [http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/seikan/kokuko/en/ Official Ibaraki Prefecture homepage]
* [http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/seikan/kokuko/e-ibaraki-report/index.html The E-Ibaraki Report: articles and commentary of foreigners living in Ibaraki, produced by the International Affairs Division, Ibaraki Prefecture]
* [http://www.ibarakijapan.com Ibaraki Japan]

References