The city of Chikusei,
founded on March 28, 2005, was formed through the
merger of Shimodate City and the towns of Sekijo,
Akeno and Kyowa. Located about 70km north of Tokyo
in the western part of Ibaraki Prefecture, Chikusei
City is about 15km long from west to east and about
20km wide from north to south, covering an area of
205.35km2.
Chikusei’s neighbors to the south are Shimotsuma
City and Tsukuba City, the renowned science and technology
center of Japan. To the east is Sakuragawa City. To
the west are Yuki City, Yachiyo-machi and Oyama City,
Tochigi Prefecture and to the north is Haga-gun, Ninomiya-machi,
Tochigi Prefecture.
The land around Chikusei is more or less flat and
forms a fertile agricultural area with the Kinu and
Kokai rivers running from south to north through the
city.
The altitude ranges from 20m to 60m. In the northern
part of the city, there is a hilly zone about 200m
high connecting to part of the Abukuma Mountain Range.
The climate is mild and calm throughout the year,
typical of Pacific Ocean type climate.
National Highway Routes 50 and 294 run east to west
and south to north, respectively, going through mainly
the center of Chikusei. Prefectural highways spread
out radially from the city center in the direction
of Ishioka, Tsukuba and Koga. |
|
Three railways operate
in Chikusei City. The JR Mito line runs east to west
of the city. From Shimodate Station, the Moka line
of the Moka Railway runs north to Motegi, and the
Kanto Railway Joso Line runs south as far as Toride.
"A city of symbiotic culture where humans can
live comfortably in harmony with nature" was
set as the future vision for Chikusei. Furthermore,
efforts are being made to create an urban area that
serves as a new center for collaboration in the northern
Kanto area, and initiatives are being taken in areas
such as industry, tourism, recreation, and culture
that go beyond prefectural boundaries. |
