Mibu, Tochigi

Mibu 壬生町
Town
Mibu Town Office
Flag Seal
Location of Mibu in Tochigi Prefecture
Mibu
Coordinates: 36°25′37.4″N 139°48′14.3″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi Prefecture
District	Shimotsuga
Area
• Total	61.06 km2 (23.58 sq mi)
Population  (May 2015)
• Total	39,628
• Density	649/km2 (1,680/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Enoki
- Flower	Calabash
- Bird	Eurasian skylark
Phone number	0282-81-1806
Address	12-22 Torimachi, Mibu-machi, Shimotsuga -gun, Tochigi-ken 321-0292
Website	http://www.town.mibu.tochigi.jp/

Mibu (壬生町, Mibu-machi) is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of May 2015, the town had an estimated population of 39,628, and a population density of 649 persons per km². Its total area is 61.06 km².

Geography

Mibu is located in south-central Tochigi Prefecture.

Surrounding municipalities

• Tochigi Prefecture
  • Utsunomiya
  • Kanuma
  • Tochigi
  • Shimotsuke

History

The remains of many burial mounds from the Kofun period can be found in Mibu. During the Edo period, Mibu-shuku was a post station on a branch the Nikkō Kaidō connecting Edo with the shrines at Nikkō, and was also a castle town for Mibu Domain. After the Meiji restoration, Mibu town and the villages of Inaba and Minami-Inukai were created within Shimotsuga District on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system. Inaba merged with Mibu on November 3, 1954 followed by Minami-Inukai on July 28, 1955.

Economy

The economy of Mibu is heavily dependent on agriculture.

Education

Tochigi Prefectural Mibu High School (栃木県立壬生高等学校)

• Dokkyo Medical University
• Mibu has eight primary schools, two middle schools and one high school.
  • Tochigi Prefectural Mibu High School (栃木県立壬生高等学校)
  • Mibu Municipal Mibu Junior High School (壬生町立壬生中学校)
  • Mibu Municipal Minami Inukai Junior High School (壬生町立南犬飼中学校)

Transportation

Railway

• Tobu Railway – Tobu Utsunomiya Line
  • Mibu - Kuniya - Omocha-no-Machi - Yasuzuka

Highway

• Kita-Kantō Expressway – Mibu PA/Mibu IC
• Japan National Route 121
• Japan National Route 352

Local attractions

• Mibumachi Toy Museum
• site of Mibu Castle
• Atagozuka Kofun
• Kurumazuka Kofun
• Ushizuka Kofun
• Chausuyama Kofun

Noted people from Mibu

• Ennin - third zasu(head) of the Tendai sect of Buddhism
• Yuko Oshima - actress and singer
• Tsutomu Sato - politician

External links

Media related to Mibu, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)