Ishioka, Ibaraki

Ishioka 石岡市
City
Upper: Lake Kasumigaura, Mt Tsukuba Middle: Ishioka festival, Mt Kabasan, lower: Ishioka street scene
Flag Seal
Location of Ishioka in Ibaraki Prefecture
Ishioka
Coordinates: 36°11′27″N 140°17′14″E / 36.19083°N 140.28722°E / 36.19083; 140.28722Coordinates: 36°11′27″N 140°17′14″E / 36.19083°N 140.28722°E / 36.19083; 140.28722
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Ibaraki Prefecture
Area
• Total	215.53 km2 (83.22 sq mi)
Population (September 2015)
• Total	75,906
• Density	352/km2 (910/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Castanopsis
- Flower	Lilium
- Bird	Eurasian skylark
Phone number	0299-23-1111
Address	1-1-1 Ishioka, Ishioka-shi, Ibakaki-ken 315-8640
Website	Official website

Ishioka (石岡市, Ishioka-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 75,906 and a population density of 352 persons per km². Its total area was 215.53 square kilometres (83.22 sq mi).

Geography

Inashiki is located in central Ibaraki Prefecture, bordered by Lake Kasumigaura to the south.

Surrounding municipalities

• Ibaraki Prefecture
  • Itako
  • Ryūgasaki
  • Ami
  • Miho
  • Kawachi

History

During the Nara period, the provincial capital of Hitachi Province was located in what is now part of the city of Ishioka. The area was known as Hitachi- Fuchū (常陸府中), or simply as “Fuchū” for most of history and developed as a castle town during the Edo period for Hitachi-Fuchū Domain. The domain was renamed “Ishioka Domain” in 1869. With the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889 after the Meiji restoration, the town of Ishio was created. Much of the town was destroyed in a fire of March 14, 1929. Ishioka was raised to city status on February 11, 1954. The new city annexed the neighboring villages of Mi and Sekigawa on December 1, 1954. On October 1, 2005, the town of Yasato (from Niihari District) was merged into Ishioka.

Education

Ishioka has 19 elementary schools, eight public and one private middle schools, and three public and one private high school.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Jōban Line
  • Takahama – Ishioka

Highway

• Jōban Expressway – Chiyoda-Ishioka IC (located in Kasumigaura)]
• Japan National Route 6
• Japan National Route 355

Local attractions

• site of Hitachi Kokubun-ji
• site of Hitachi provincial capital
• Funatsukyama Kofun

Notable people from Ishioka

• Takao Watanabe – politician
• Inio Asano - Mangaka

External links

Media related to Ishioka, Ibaraki at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (in Japanese)