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Ryūgasaki

龍ケ崎市
Ryūgasaki 龍ケ崎市
City
	Ryūgasaki city hall
	Flag Seal
	Location of Ryūgasaki in Ibaraki Prefecture
	Ryūgasaki
	Coordinates: 35°54′41.6″N 140°10′56.3″E / 35.911556°N 140.182306°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Ibaraki
Area
• Total	78.55 km2 (30.33 sq mi)
Population (January 2024)
• Total	75,212
• Density	960/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0297-64-1111
Address	3710 Banchi, Ryūgasaki-shi, Ibaraki-ken 301-8611
Climate	Cfa
Website	Official website
Symbols
Bird	Swan
Flower	Platycodon grandiflorus
Tree	Pinus

Ryūgasaki (龍ケ崎市, Ryūgasaki-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2024^[update], the city had an estimated population of 75,212 in 33,421 households and a population density of 958 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 31.1% in July 2020.^[1] The total area of the city is 78.59 square kilometres (30.34 sq mi).

Geography

Ryūgasaki is located in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, in the low-lying flatlands south of Lake Kasumigaura. The Kokai River runs through the western part of the city, and the basin is dotted with tributaries and lakes. Lake Ushiku, despite its name, is entirely within the city of Ryūgasaki.

Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture

Climate

Ryūgasaki has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Ryūgasaki is 14.5 °C (58.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,352.8 mm (53.26 in) with October as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 °C (78.4 °F), and lowest in January, at around 3.3 °C (37.9 °F).^[2]

Climate data for Ryūgasaki (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	19.2 (66.6)	24.4 (75.9)	25.9 (78.6)	28.9 (84.0)	34.0 (93.2)	35.3 (95.5)	36.5 (97.7)	38.5 (101.3)	35.9 (96.6)	32.5 (90.5)	24.7 (76.5)	24.1 (75.4)	38.5 (101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	9.4 (48.9)	10.2 (50.4)	13.5 (56.3)	18.6 (65.5)	22.9 (73.2)	25.4 (77.7)	29.4 (84.9)	30.9 (87.6)	27.2 (81.0)	21.8 (71.2)	16.7 (62.1)	11.7 (53.1)	19.8 (67.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	3.3 (37.9)	4.3 (39.7)	7.8 (46.0)	13.0 (55.4)	17.8 (64.0)	21.0 (69.8)	24.6 (76.3)	25.8 (78.4)	22.5 (72.5)	16.9 (62.4)	10.9 (51.6)	5.5 (41.9)	14.5 (58.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2.3 (27.9)	−1.2 (29.8)	2.3 (36.1)	7.5 (45.5)	13.5 (56.3)	17.5 (63.5)	21.2 (70.2)	22.2 (72.0)	18.8 (65.8)	12.6 (54.7)	5.6 (42.1)	0.0 (32.0)	9.8 (49.7)
Record low °C (°F)	−15.5 (4.1)	−8.5 (16.7)	−5.9 (21.4)	−2.5 (27.5)	2.9 (37.2)	10.1 (50.2)	12.7 (54.9)	15.2 (59.4)	6.6 (43.9)	0.3 (32.5)	−3.9 (25.0)	−7.6 (18.3)	−15.5 (4.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	55.4 (2.18)	52.9 (2.08)	103.3 (4.07)	109.0 (4.29)	122.6 (4.83)	135.1 (5.32)	128.1 (5.04)	99.4 (3.91)	182.8 (7.20)	212.8 (8.38)	87.5 (3.44)	53.4 (2.10)	1,352.8 (53.26)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	5.3	6.2	10.0	10.4	10.4	11.6	10.3	7.2	11.2	10.5	7.9	5.7	106.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours	190.8	172.3	174.3	178.4	179.9	125.7	155.7	183.5	133.9	134.0	148.4	169.1	1,927.9
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency^[3]^[2]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[4] the population of Ryūgasaki has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1950	34,528	—
1960	33,581	−2.7%
1970	37,267	+11.0%
1980	43,132	+15.7%
1990	57,238	+32.7%
2000	76,923	+34.4%
2010	80,334	+4.4%
2020	76,420	−4.9%

History

The name "Ryūgasaki" can be traced back to 1182 when the samurai clan ruling the territory adopted "Ryūgasaki" as their family name. The northern half of the city was an exclave of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, the region joined Miyazaku Prefecture [ja] in 1869 before merging with Ibaraki Prefecture in 1875. The southern portion of the city was part of Kitasōma District in Shimōsa Province, as the boundary between Shimōsa and Hitachi Province had been established in the Nara period as the Tone River. However, by the Meiji period, the course of the river had shifted, leaving the area of present-day southern Ryūgasaki on the northern bank of the river. This area was transferred to Ibaraki Prefecture in 1875

The town of Ryūgasaki was created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

The city was formed on March 20, 1954, when the aforementioned town merged with: Nareshiba [ja], Ōmiya [ja], Yabara [ja], Nagato [ja], Kawarashiro [ja] and Kitamonma [ja]. In February 1955, the city grew to its present size when a proportion of Takasu [ja] merged with the city.^[5]

In 1974, the city adopted the Swan, the Pinus, and Platycodon grandiflorus as its city symbols for bird, tree and flower respectively.^[6]

Government

Ryūgasaki has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Ryūgasaki, together with neighboring Tone, contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The 20th and current mayor is (萩原　勇) Isamu Hagiwara, who assumed the position on January 18, 2022.^[7] Issei Nakayama (中山一生) was the seventeenth to nineteenth mayor, beginning in January 2010.^[8]

Economy

New Central Airlines, a commuter airline, is headquartered in the city, on the grounds of Ryūgasaki Airfield, although no commercial flights are scheduled from the city.^[9]^[10]

Education

Ryutsu Keizai University
Ryūgasaki has 11 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government. There are one public middle school and three public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education as well as one private high school.

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Jōban Line

Sanuki

Kantō Railway - Ryūgasaki Line

Sanuki - Ireji - Ryūgasaki

Highway

National Route 6

Airport

Ryūgasaki Airfield – however, no scheduled commercial services

Local attractions

Noted people from Ryūgasaki

Yuta Nakayama, professional football player
Akiyo Noguchi, retired professional rock climber, olympic bronze medalist, seven-time IFSC Climbing World Cup champion
Isao Okano, judoka, Olympic gold medalist
Nana Suzuki, model
Kisenosato Yutaka, the 72nd yokozuna in sumo wrestling

References

^ 市町村のデータ（龍ケ崎市）／茨城県 [Ryūgasaki - Ibaraki prefectural official statistics] (in Japanese). July 1, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
^ ^a ^b 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
^ Ryūgasaki population statistics
^ 平成25年統計りゅうがさき [2013 Statistics, Ryūgasaki] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Ryūgasaki City. p. 2. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
^ 市民憲章、市章、市の花・木・鳥 [Townspeople's charter, city symbol, the city's flower, tree and bird] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Ryūgasaki City. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
^ 市長プロフィール [Mayor Profile]. Ryūgasaki City (in Japanese). January 18, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
^ 平成25年統計りゅうがさき [2013 Statistics, Ryugasaki] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Ryūgasaki City. p. 59. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
^ "The Kawada Group." Kawada Industries. Retrieved on February 21, 2010.
^ "路線外運行." New Central Airlines. Retrieved on February 21, 2010. "お問い合わせは〒３０１－０８０６　茨城県竜ヶ崎市半田町３１７７竜ヶ崎飛行場内"