Omitama

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Omitama

| official_name =

| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|ja|小美玉市}}}}

| native_name_lang = Fse

| settlement_type = City

| image_skyline = Omitamashi.jpg

| imagesize =

| image_alt =

| image_caption = Omitama city hall

| image_flag = Flag of Omitama, Ibaraki.svg

| flag_alt =

| image_seal = Emblem of Omitama, Ibaraki.svg

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| image_shield =

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| image_map = Omitama in Ibaraki Prefecture Ja.svg

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Location of Omitama in Ibaraki Prefecture

| pushpin_map = Japan

| pushpin_label_position =

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| coordinates = {{coord|36|14|21.4|N|140|21|9.2|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}

| coor_pinpoint =

| coordinates_footnotes =

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Japan

| subdivision_type1 = Region

| subdivision_name1 = Kantō

| subdivision_type2 = Prefecture

| subdivision_name2 = Ibaraki

| subdivision_type3 =

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| area_total_km2 = 144.74

| area_land_km2 =

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| population_footnotes =

| population_total = 48754

| population_as_of = October 2020

| population_density_km2 = auto

| population_est =

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| timezone1 = Japan Standard Time

| utc_offset1 = +9

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| postal_code_type =

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| blank_name_sec1 = City Symbols

| blank1_name_sec1 = - Tree

| blank1_info_sec1 = Zelkova serrata

| blank2_name_sec1 = - Flower

| blank2_info_sec1 = Cosmos

| blank3_name_sec1 = - Bird

| blank3_info_sec1 = Egret

| blank4_name_sec1 =

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| blank7_info_sec1 =

| blank_name_sec2 = Phone number

| blank_info_sec2 = 0299-48-1111

| blank1_name_sec2 = Address

| blank1_info_sec2 = 835 Katakura, Omitama-shi, Ibarak-ken 319-0192

| website = {{Official|1=http://www.city.omitama.ibaraki.jp/}}

| footnotes =

}}

file:Lake Kasumigaura from Omitama City 03.jpg

{{Nihongo|Omitama|小美玉市|Omitama-shi}} is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. {{As of|2020|07|01}}, the city had an estimated population of 48,776 in 18,311 households and a population density of 337 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 30.0%.{{cite web |url=https://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/kikaku/tokei/fukyu/tokei/sugata/local/omitama.html |title= Ibaraki prefectural official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}} The total area of the city is {{convert|144.74|sqkm|sqmi}}.

Geography

Omitama is located in central Ibaraki Prefecture, in the low-lying flatlands north of Lake Kasumigaura.

=Surrounding municipalities=

Ibaraki Prefecture

=Climate=

Omitama has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Omitama is 13.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1357 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C.[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/ibaraki/omitama-5416/ Omitama climate data]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-ibaraki.php Omitama population statistics] the population of Omitama peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly since.

{{Historical populations

| 1920 | 25,143

| 1930 | 26,330

| 1940 | 28,341

| 1950 | 37,280

| 1960 | 35,675

| 1970 | 36,967

| 1980 | 48,200

| 1990 | 52,269

| 2000 | 53,406

| 2010 | 52,279

| 2020 | 48,870

|align = none

| footnote =

}}

History

The city of Omitama was established on March 27, 2006, from the merger of the towns of Ogawa and Minori (both from Higashiibaraki District), and the village of Tamari (from Niihari District).{{Cite web |last=茨城県 |title=いばらきの市町村合併 |url=https://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/somu/shichoson/gyosei/gappei.html |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=茨城県 |language=ja}} The new city took its name from portions of the three older town and village names from which it was formed, Ogawa, Minori, Tamari.

Government

Omitama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Omitama 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

Agriculture is the mainstay of the local economy, with cash crops including chives, strawberries, melons, rice and lotus roots.

Omitama is also the home of Ibaraki Airport, which opened in March 2010 after considerable public investment. Its original intention was to attract Low Cost Carriers to an operating centre North of Tokyo. To date it has had some success by attracting Skymark Airlines, Spring Airlines and TigerAir to offer limited domestic and international routes to Xian, Taipei and Shanghai.

Education

Omitama has 11 public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.