Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kantō Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Hitachinaka (ひたちなか市, Hitachinaka-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the city had an estimated population density of 1,547 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 26.1%. The total area of the city is 99.96 square km (38.59 sq mi). It is a "hiragana city", the place name is written with the hiragana syllabary and not the traditional kanji.

Geography Hitachinaka is located slightly north-east of central Ibaraki Prefecture and east of the capital of Mito. It consists of a lowland area around the Naka River in the south and the Pacific coast in the east.

Surrounding municipalities Ibaraki Prefecture • Tōkai • Naka • Mito • Ōarai.

Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Hitachinaka has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

History The towns of Hiraiso and Minato, as well as the village of Katsuta, were created within Naka District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Minato was renamed Nakaminato in 1938. Nakaminato had the commercial fishing industry as its main industry, but the area rapidly developed into a company town of Hitachi, Katsuta was elevated to town status in 1940. During World War II, the area was subject to air raids and shelling by Allied warships due to its numerous factories producing war-related materials. On March 31, 1954, the towns of Nakaminato and Hiraiso merged, forming the city of Nakaminato. Katsuta was raised to city status on November 1 of the same year. The two cities merged on November 1, 1994, to form the city of Hitachinaka.

Government Hitachinaka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 25 members. Hitachinaka contributes three members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki's 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Hitachinaka is a bustling city with a diverse economy. The city's strategic location near Tokyo and its access to major transportation hubs have made it a popular destination for businesses and investors. It developed primarily as a company town for Hitachi group factories, and Hitachi remains the primary employer. Secondary industries include commercial fishing, agriculture and seasonal tourism.

Education Hitachinaka has 20 public elementary schools and nine public middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education, including Katsuta High School. The prefecture also operates one technical institute and one special education school for the handicapped.

Transport: Rail Hitachinaka is connected through the Katsuta Station to the railway network with direct connections to Tokyo and Iwaki.

JR East - Tokiwa Line

JR East –Jōban Line • Katsuta – Sawa

JR East – Suigun Line • Hitachi-Aoyagi – Hitachi-Tsuda

Hitachinaka Seaside Railway – Minato Line • Katsuta – Kōkimae – Kaneage – Nakane – Takadano-tekkyō – Nakaminato – Tonoyama – Hiraiso – Minohamagakuen – Isozaki – Ajigaura

Transport: Road • National Route 6 • National Route 245 • Hitachinaka Road • Higashi-Mito Road

Local attractions • Hitachi Seaside Park • Hitachinaka City Stadium • Hitachinaka Baseball Stadium • Ajigaura Swimming Beach • Hiraiso Swimming Beach • Torazuka Kofun, National Historic Site.