Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kantō Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Toride (取手市) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The total area of the city is 69.94 square km (27.00 sq mi).

Geography Located in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Toride is bordered by Chiba Prefecture to the south. The Tone River passes along the southern border of Toride, which also marks the Ibaraki/Chiba border. The city is located in the Kanto Plain and was often subject to flooding. It is approximately 40 km from central Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities Ibaraki Prefecture • Tsukubamirai • Moriya • Ryūgasaki • Tone; Chiba Prefecture • Abiko • Kashiwa.

History Toride developed in the Edo period as a post town on the Mito Kaidō highway connecting Edo with Mito and as a nexus for water-borne traffic on the Tone River; however, the name is thought to derive from an ancient fort constructed by Taira no Masakado in the Heian period. The area was part of ancient Shimōsa Province, but was transferred to the newly created Ibaraki prefecture after the Meiji restoration. Toride town was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was elevated to city status on October 1, 1970. On March 28, 2005, the neighboring town of Fujishiro (from Kitasōma District) was merged into Toride, nearly doubling its size.

Government Toride has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 24 members. Toride contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Due to its proximity to Tokyo, Toride is increasingly a bedroom community for the Tokyo metropolis. Rice, sake, pickles and leeks dominate local agriculture.

Education Toride has 14 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, there are one private elementary school, two private middle schools and two private high schools.

The Tokyo University of the Arts maintains a campus at Toride.

Transport: Rail JR East – Jōban Line • Toride - Fujishiro; Kantō Railway - Jōsō Line • Toride - Nishi-Toride - Terahara - Shin-Toride - Yumemino - Inatoi - Togashira.

Transport: Road • National Route 6 • National Route 294.

Local attractions • Kokai River Cycling Road • Toride Tone River Fireworks • Kokaigawa Flower Canal • Toride Yasaka Shrine • Former Toride-juku Honjin • Ryuzen-ji Buddhist temple • Tomb of Honda Narishige.