Mito, Ibaraki

For other uses, see Mito.

Mito 水戸
—  Special city  —
水戸市 · Mito
City skyline over ume of Kairaku-en
Flag
Location of Mito in Ibaraki
Mito
Coordinates: 36°22′N 140°28′E / 36.367°N 140.467°E / 36.367; 140.467Coordinates: 36°22′N 140°28′E / 36.367°N 140.467°E / 36.367; 140.467
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Ibaraki
Government
- Mayor	Yasu Takahashi (since June 2011)
Area
- Total	217.45 km2 (84 sq mi)
Population (June 1, 2010)
- Total	265,993
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Ume
- Flower	Bush clover (hagi)
- Bird	White Wagtail
Phone number	029−224−1111
Address	1-4-1 Chūō, Mito-shi, Ibaraki-ken 310−8610
Website	city.mito.lg.jp

Mito (水戸市, Mito-shi^?) 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. Mito nattō is the city's culinary specialty and is well-known across Japan.

Mito is the site of the Japanese garden Kairaku-en, located near Senba lake and counted as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Constructed by Tokugawa Nariaki in 1842, the park is known nationwide for its ume trees. Many people come to the park in spring to view the blossoms, particularly during the Ume Festival. In summer, Mito also holds the Mito Koumon Festival.

Mito was the seat of the so-called Mito School, a congregation of nativist scholars of Confucian persuasion led by Aizawa Seishisai, who during the 18th and 19th centuries advocated Western learning as a means not only to further Japanese technological development and international strength, but as means to prove Japanese uniqueness and superiority among nations.

History

The Yamato people settled in Mito around the 4th century CE. Around the end of the Heian period, Baba Sukemoto, a warlord of the Heike family, moved to Mito and built a castle there. Mito Castle changed hands several times after that: a daimyo named Satake Yoshinobu won it in the mid-16th century, but he was forced to surrender it to Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603 after the epic Battle of Sekigahara. Ieyasu's son Tokugawa Yorifusa then took over Mito Castle, becoming one of the three "gosanke" family members fortified outside of Edo. Edo was directly connected to Mito by the Mito Kaidō.^[1] The Tokugawas directly ruled Mito until the mid-19th century, when the bakufu in Edo was overthrown.

The modern city of Mito was formed on April 1, 1889, with a population of 25,000. It was designated as the prefectural capital. By 1900, the Joban Line connected it to Tokyo, and by 1910, telephones and electric lighting were available throughout the city. Although more than three-quarters of the city burned to the ground near the end of World War II, the population rebounded to 70,000 just two years later, and has continued to grow ever since.

Today, Mito is primarily a commercial and administrative city: most industry in Ibaraki is concentrated around the nearby city of Tsukuba. Mito has a modest but thriving tourism industry, centered on Kairaku-en (park) and local museums dedicated to the Tokugawa family. Mito is also the site of Ibaraki University and Tokiwa University.

Transportation

Mito is located on the Joban Line (Mito Station) and Joban Expressway, which connects it to Tokyo and Tsukuba to the south and Hitachi and Iwaki to the north. The Suigun Line runs north to Koriyama, and the Mito Line runs west to Oyama. The closest major airport is Narita International Airport. Ibaraki Airport in nearby Omitama opened in March 2010. At present, it offers only limited service with one flight a day to Kobe, Korea (Seoul), and three flights a week to China (Shanghai). The airport hopes to attract services by budget air carriers and has structured services and fees accordingly.^[2]

Professional sports

Mito is the home city of the J-League professional soccer team, Mito HollyHock.

Famous residents

• Aizawa Seishisai (1782–1863)
• Stomu Takeishi (born 1964, jazz bass player)

Tourist attractions

Art Tower Mito

Ume Festival at Kairaku-en in Mito

• Kodokan School
• Mito Castle
• Lake Senba
• Kairakuen Park
• Ibaraki Museum of Modern Art
• Art Tower Mito
• Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History
• Mito Municipal Botanical Park
• The Tokugawa Museum

Sister cities

• Anaheim, California, USA

References

1. ^ Chiba Kokaidō Rekishi Sanpo. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Accessed December 28, 2007.
2. ^ In Japan, No-Frills Airport Lures Bargain Players. The New York Times. Accessed March, 2010.

External links

Media related to Mito, Ibaraki at Wikimedia Commons

• Mito official website (English)
• Art Tower Mito (Japanese)
• Seifu-Meitokukai Foundation: The Tokugawa Museum