Hitachiōta, Ibaraki

Not to be confused with Hitachiōmiya.

Hitachiōta (常陸太田市, Hitachiōta-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020^[update], the city had an estimated population of 48,074 in 19,327 households and a population density of 129.2 persons per km². . The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 36.2%.^[1] The total area of the city is 371.99 square kilometres (143.63 sq mi).

Hitachiōta 常陸太田市
City
Hitachiōta city hall
Flag Seal
Location of Hitachiōta in Ibaraki Prefecture
Hitachiōta
Coordinates: 36°32′17.8″N 140°31′51.3″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Ibaraki
Area
• Total	371.99 km2 (143.63 sq mi)
Population  (September 2020)
• Total	47,922
• Density	130/km2 (330/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Zelkova serrata
- Flower	Kerria japonica
- Bird	Alcedo atthis
Phone number	0294-72-3111
Address	3690 Kanai-chō, Hitachiōta-shi, Ibaraki-ken　 313-8611
Website	Official website

Seizan-so

Geography

Hitachiōta is located in northeastern Ibaraki Prefecture, bordered by Fukushima Prefecture to the north. The city is long from north to south, and has the largest area of any municipality in Ibaraki prefecture. From the west, the Asakawa, Yamada, and Sato rivers flow in parallel to the south, and the villages and cultivated lands are spread in the valleys along each river. The rivers all join the Kuji River, which runs through the southern border of the city.

Surrounding municipalities

Fukushima Prefecture

• Hanawa
• Yamatsuri

Ibaraki Prefecture

• Daigo
• Hitachi
• Hitachiōmiya
• Naka
• Takahagi

Climate

Hitachiōta has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hitachiōta is 13.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1426 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.6 °C.^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Hitachiōta peaked in the 1950s and has declined since.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	60,513	—
1930	63,439	+4.8%
1940	63,066	−0.6%
1950	77,767	+23.3%
1960	72,593	−6.7%
1970	63,141	−13.0%
1980	59,503	−5.8%
1990	59,758	+0.4%
2000	61,869	+3.5%
2010	56,250	−9.1%
2020	48,602	−13.6%

History

The town of Ōta was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to city status on July 15, 1954.　On December 1, 2004, the town of Kanasagō, and the villages of Satomi and Suifu (all from Kuji District) were merged into Hitachiōta, more than tripling its size and increasing its population by about 20,000.

Government

Hitachiōta has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Hitachiōta contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Hitachiōta is primarily agricultural.

Education

Hitachiōta has 12 public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by the city government, and three public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Suigun Line

• Kawai - Yagawara - Hitachi-Ōta

Highway

• Jōban Expressway – Hitachi-minamiōta Interchange
• National Route 293
• National Route 349
• National Route 461

Sister cities

• Hunchun, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin, China, friendship city
• La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines, sister city
• Yuyao, Zhejiang, China, friendship city

Local attractions

• Bontenyama Kofun cluster
• site of Ota Castle
• Satake-dera
• Seizan-so, National Historic Monument

Notable people from Hitachiōta

• Miyuki Akiyama, professional volleyball player
• Hiroshi Kajiyama, politician