Hitachi, Ibaraki

Hitachi 日立市
—  City  —
Flag
Location of Hitachi in Ibaraki
Hitachi
Coordinates: 36°36′N 140°39′E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Ibaraki
Government
• Mayor	Chiaki Kashimura
Area
• Total	225.55 km2 (87.09 sq mi)
Population (October 1, 2012)
• Total	189,956
• Density	842.19/km2 (2,181.3/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Japanese zelkova
- Flower	Sakura
- Bird	Japanese Cormorant
- Fish	Giant Pacific Octopus
Phone number	0294-22-3111
Address	1-1 Sukegawa-chō, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken 317-8601
Website	Hitachi City

Hitachi (日立市, Hitachi-shi) is a city located on the Pacific Ocean in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Its name could be directly translated as "sunrise", but probably more appropriately adapted to "prosperous wealth" (the historical kanji name for the area is 常陸).

Demographics

As of October 1, 2012, the city has an estimated population of 189,956, with 78,616 households and the density of 842.19 persons per km². The total area is 225.55 km².

History

Hitachi was officially designated a city on September 1, 1939. On November 1, 2004 the neighboring town of Jūō, from Taga District, was merged into Hitachi.

The name Hitachi is well known throughout the world due to Hitachi company founded in the city in 1910 by Namihei Odaira. Today, Hitachi company is one of the world's largest manufacturing and consumer electronics companies.

Urban Development

Heiwa Street with Sakura

Being a predominantly industrial city Hitachi was badly damaged in World War II, including shelling by the Iowa, and very few older buildings now remain in the downtown area. Industry continued after the war, and Hitachi was a small urban center for northern Ibaraki. Some factories have since closed, and Hitachi is now losing population, like much of Japan. Moreover, the downtown area, especially Ginza Dori, a busy pedestrianized shopping street into the 1990s, has experienced urban decay due to supermarkets and big box stores being built outside of downtown. Because of the increasing car traffic related to the urban sprawl, a bypass around central Hitachi was built, destroying a local beach.

Nevertheless, the city is not without interesting local sites. Like many Japanese cities, many of the public spaces are dedicated to symbolising the struggle for peace in the post-war world. It is in this spirit that one must consider Heiwa Dori (Peace Street), considered Hitachi's prettiest street. Every April there is a major procession down the broad tree-lined boulevard to celebrate the arrival of the cherry blossom season (Sakura Matsuri). Giant colourful floats called furyumono are carried by the local people. Hitachi also has a small zoo on the nearby Mount Kamine and an impressive Civic Center complex near the main station.

Transportation

Hitachi is located on the Joban Line and Joban Expressway which connect it to Tokyo, Mito and Iwaki. The closest airport is Ibaraki Airport while Fukushima Airport is also close.

Sister cities

• Birmingham, Alabama
• Tauranga, New Zealand

Attack on Hitachi during WWII

Hitachi was an important military target in the war efforts against Japan during WWII. This was because Hitachi was a major industrial center, which contained 6 factories for the production of electrical equipment. It also had a copper mine that contained 1/10 of all of Japan's copper. The attack was meant to destroy industries and decrease Japan's recuperative potential. It took place on July 19th, 1945. Of the city's 1.38 Sq. Miles at the time, 64.5% of Hitachi was destroyed.

References

“21st Bomber Command Tactical Mission Report 277 to 281, Ocr.pdf”, n.d.

External links

• Official website in English or Japanese
• English Translation of Japanese home page