Itako, Ibaraki

Itako 潮来市
City
Maekawa Iris Park
Flag Seal
Location of Itako in Ibaraki Prefecture
Itako
Coordinates: 35°56′49.7″N 140°33′19.3″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Ibaraki
Area
• Total	71.40 km2 (27.57 sq mi)
Population  (October 2020)
• Total	27,512
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Populus
• Flower	Iris
• Bird	Great reed warbler
Phone number	0299-23-1111
Address	626 Tsuji, Itako-shi, Ibaraki-ken 311-2493
Website	Official website

Itako city hall

Itako (潮来市, Itako-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the city had an estimated population of 27,577 in 10,849 households and a population density of 386 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 32.9%. The total area of the city is 71.40 square kilometres (27.57 sq mi). It is known for its annual iris festival (Itako Ayame Matsuri). Much of the city is within the borders of the Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park.

Geography

Itako is located in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, bordered by Chiba Prefecture to the south, and sandwiched between Lake Kasumigaura to the west and Lake Kitaura to the east. The Tone River also flows through the city, which has been noted since the Edo period for its network of canals. The city is approximately 80 kilometres north of Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities

Chiba Prefecture

• Katori

Ibaraki Prefecture

• Inashiki
• Kashima
• Kamisu
• Namegata

Climate

Itako has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Itako is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1455  mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.3 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Itako peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly since.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	17,385	—
1930	18,453	+6.1%
1940	20,007	+8.4%
1950	25,516	+27.5%
1960	24,467	−4.1%
1970	25,005	+2.2%
1980	29,075	+16.3%
1990	30,863	+6.1%
2000	31,944	+3.5%
2010	30,534	−4.4%
2020	27,604	−9.6%

History

The town of Itako was established within Namegata District with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Itako merged with the neighboring villages of Tsuwa, Nobukata and Ouhara on February 11, 1955. It was raised to city status on April 1, 2001, by absorbing the town of Ushibori.

Government

Itako has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 16 members. Itako contributes one member to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Sake barrel in Itako

• Aiyu Sake Brewery (愛友酒造) has been producing sake since 1804.

Education

Itako has six public elementary schools, four public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Kashima Line

• Itako – Nobukata

Bus

• Suigō-Itako Bus Terminal

Highway

• Higashi-Kantō Expressway – Itako IC
• National Route 51
• National Route 355

Local attractions

• Chōshō-ji Buddhist temple
• Inariyama Park
• Junikyo Bridges
• Kongenyama park
• Nihonmatsu-dera Buddhist temple
• Road Station Itako
• Suigo Dragonfly Park
• Suigo Hokusai Park
• Suigo Itako Iris Gardens

Notable people from Itako

• Tatsuya Kawahara, professional football player
• Kenji Koyano, professional football player
• Keita Sugimoto, professional football player
• Mitsuo Yanagimachi, movie director

External links

Media related to Itako, Ibaraki at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)