Chikusei

Located in southwestern Ibaraki Prefecture, Chikusei is located on the west side of Mount Tsukuba and is bordered by Tochigi Prefecture to the north. The Kinugawa River and the Kokaigawa River flow through the city. The city is located about 70 kilometers north of downtown Tokyo. Except for the hills with an altitude of about 200 meters connected to the Abukuma mountains at the northeastern end, almost the entire area is flat land with an elevation of about 20 to 60 meters or extremely gentle hills, and about 95% of the total area of the city is residential or cultivated. rice paddies occupy about 40% of the total area of the city.

Ibaraki Prefecture

• Sakuragawa
• Shimotsuma
• Tsukuba
• Yashiyo
• Yūki

Tochigi Prefecture

• Mooka
• Oyama

Chikusei has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Chikusei is {{cvt|14.3|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1208.3|mm}} with October as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around {{cvt|26.1|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|2.6|C}}.

{{Weather box

|width=auto

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Shimodate, Chikusei (2002−2020 normals, extremes 2001−present)

|Jan record high C = 18.8

|Feb record high C = 23.7

|Mar record high C = 26.3

|Apr record high C = 30.2

|May record high C = 33.6

|Jun record high C = 34.6

|Jul record high C = 37.2

|Aug record high C = 37.7

|Sep record high C = 36.9

|Oct record high C = 32.4

|Nov record high C = 24.7

|Dec record high C = 24.4

|Jan record low C = -11.0

|Feb record low C = -10.0

|Mar record low C = -6.7

|Apr record low C = -3.1

|May record low C = 2.6

|Jun record low C = 9.7

|Jul record low C = 15.3

|Aug record low C = 14.5

|Sep record low C = 7.9

|Oct record low C = 1.4

|Nov record low C = -3.1

|Dec record low C = -8.5

|Jan high C = 9.1

|Feb high C = 10.1

|Mar high C = 13.8

|Apr high C = 18.9

|May high C = 23.4

|Jun high C = 26.2

|Jul high C = 29.6

|Aug high C = 31.4

|Sep high C = 27.5

|Oct high C = 21.7

|Nov high C = 16.2

|Dec high C = 11.1

|Jan mean C = 2.6

|Feb mean C = 4.0

|Mar mean C = 7.6

|Apr mean C = 12.6

|May mean C = 17.9

|Jun mean C = 21.3

|Jul mean C = 24.8

|Aug mean C = 26.1

|Sep mean C = 22.4

|Oct mean C = 16.6

|Nov mean C = 10.5

|Dec mean C = 4.9

|Jan low C = -3.2

|Feb low C = -1.8

|Mar low C = 1.6

|Apr low C = 6.8

|May low C = 13.1

|Jun low C = 17.4

|Jul low C = 21.3

|Aug low C = 22.3

|Sep low C = 18.6

|Oct low C = 12.3

|Nov low C = 5.2

|Dec low C = -0.5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 40.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 38.4

|Mar precipitation mm = 75.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 105.7

|May precipitation mm = 117.3

|Jun precipitation mm = 113.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 144.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 122.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 150.4

|Oct precipitation mm = 183.9

|Nov precipitation mm = 69.1

|Dec precipitation mm = 48.0

|year precipitation mm = 1208.3

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 3.6

|Feb precipitation days = 5.1

|Mar precipitation days = 7.8

|Apr precipitation days = 10.1

|May precipitation days = 10.3

|Jun precipitation days = 11.7

|Jul precipitation days = 12.4

|Aug precipitation days = 9.1

|Sep precipitation days = 10.4

|Oct precipitation days = 10.1

|Nov precipitation days = 6.5

|Dec precipitation days = 5.1

|Jan sun = 211.5

|Feb sun = 180.4

|Mar sun = 193.0

|Apr sun = 185.5

|May sun = 187.3

|Jun sun = 140.7

|Jul sun = 141.0

|Aug sun = 184.7

|Sep sun = 138.9

|Oct sun = 140.1

|Nov sun = 157.1

|Dec sun = 182.3

|year sun = 2042.6

|source 1 = Japan Meteorological Agency{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=40&block_no=1530&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 31, 2022}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=40&block_no=1530&year=&month=&day=&view=h0

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = March 31, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-ibaraki.php Chikusei population statistics] the population of Chikusei peaked around 1990 and has steadily declined since.

{{Historical populations

| 1950 | 101,963

| 1960 | 97,894

| 1970 | 98,310

| 1980 | 110,846

| 1990 | 117,805

| 2000 | 116,120

| 2010 | 108,518

| 2020 | 100,753

|align = none

| footnote =

}}

During the Edo period, parts of the modern city of Chikusei were administered by Shimodate Domain, one of the feudal domains of the Tokugawa shogunate. With the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration on April 1, 1889, the town of Shimodate was established within Makabe District, Ibaraki). Shimodate was raised to city status on March 15, 1954.

The city of Chikusei was established on March 28, 2005, from the merger of the city of Shimodate, and towns of Akeno, Kyōwa and Sekijō (all from Makabe District).

Chikusei has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 24 members. Chikusei contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Chikusei has traditionally had strong agricultural economy, with noted products including koshihikari rice, nashi pears, small watermelons, cucumbers, strawberries, and tomatoes. Taking advantage of the location near the Tokyo metropolitan area and with abundant wide flat land, multiple industrial parks were created from the 1980s, forming a part of the Kanto inland industrial area. It is also within commuting range for to the cities of southern Tochigi Prefecture.

Chikusei has 20 public elementary schools and seven public middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education. These is also one private middle school and one private high school.

20px JR East – Mito Line

• {{STN|Kawashima|x}} - {{STN|Tamado|x}} - {{STN|Shimodate|x}} - {{STN|Niihari|x}}

Kantō Railway – Jōsō Line

• {{STN|Kurogo|x}} - {{STN|Ōtagō|x}} - {{STN|Shimodate|x}}

20px Mooka Railway

• {{STN|Shimodate|x}} - {{STN|Shimodate-Nikōmae|x}} - {{STN|Orimoto|x}} - {{STN|Higuchi|x|Ibaraki}}

• {{jct|country=JPN|Exp|E50|dab1=K}} (nearest interchange is Mooka IC in neighboring Mooka)]
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|50}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|294}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|408}}

• site of Seki Castle (national historic landmark)
• site of Isa Castle
• Funatama kofun
• site of Kogeta Castle
• site of Shimodate Castle
• Shimodate Gion Festival

• Norihiko Akagi, politician
• Hazan Itaya, ceramist
• Shingo Katayama, golfer
• Tomoki Nojiri, racing driver
• Yōko Teppōzuka, voice actress

{{reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline}}
• [http://www.city.chikusei.lg.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Ibaraki}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Ibaraki Prefecture

Category:Chikusei