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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Omitama

Omitama (小美玉市, Omitama-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the city had an estimated population of 48,776 in 18,311 households and a population density of 337 persons per km. The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 30.0%. The total area of the city is 144.74 square kilometres (55.88 sq mi).

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.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Omitama peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly since.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 25,143—    
1930 26,330+4.7%
1940 28,341+7.6%
1950 37,280+31.5%
1960 35,675−4.3%
1970 36,967+3.6%
1980 48,200+30.4%
1990 52,269+8.4%
2000 53,406+2.2%
2010 52,279−2.1%
2020 48,870−6.5%

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). 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.

Transportation

Aerial view of Ibaraki Airport

Railway

JR EastJōban Line

Highway

Airport

Military facilities

Sister cities

Local attractions

Noted people from Omitama

References

  1. ^ "Ibaraki prefectural official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Omitama climate data
  3. ^ Omitama population statistics
  4. ^ 茨城県. "いばらきの市町村合併". 茨城県 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-09.