Tsukuba Science City was designed to alleviate the overpopulation of the Tokyo area and promote high level research and education. The city plan received cabinet approval in September 1963. After winning the approval of the local residents, development was started on this new kind of city.
Tsukuba Science City covers an area of approximately 2700 hectares, which is the about the same size as the area inside the Yamanote line in Tokyo. Development of this area cost approximately 1.9 trillion yen (as of 1994).
Since construction was completed on the first institute in 1968, over 40 educational and research institutes have been established in Tsukuba. As the conditions in Tsukuba improved (better roads, improved water distribution and sewage systems, etc), the city quickly developed into a top quality research zone.
Tsukuba is located in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture. It is 50 km southwest of Mito, the prefectural capital, 50km northeast of Tokyo, the nation's capital, and 40km northwest of the New Tokyo International Airport in Narita. It is 30.4km from north to south and 14.9km east to west. It covers 284.07km2. It is dominated by Mt. Tsukuba in the north, and sits on the flat Tsukuba Inashiki Plateau, which also contains Kasumigaura, Japan's second largest lake. The city has several rivers (Kokai, Sakura, Higashi Yata, Nishi Yata) and contains forests, farmer's fields, and rice paddies, making it a place where one can feel at home. Because of its location on the Pacific side of the country, the average yearly temperature is a comfortable 13.6 degrees Celsuis (2003) and has a yearly rainfall of 1385.5mm (2003). It snows about twice or three times a year in the winter. It can get fairly cold in the winter, however, because of the cold "Tsukuba Oroshi" wind that blows off the south of Mt. Tsukuba.
The city has an extended shape in the north-south direction, that measures 25.4 km in width and 14.9 km in length. With an area of 259.59km2, it is the second largest city in the prefecture.
As a part of the city's planned amenities, the Tsukuba Center complex is made up of Nova Hall, the Tsukuba Information Center, the Okura Frontier Hotel, Azuma Public Hall, banks, shops, offices, and the AiAi mall.
This used to be the prefecture's largest combined shopping center, with department stores and supermarkets. It has a combined floor space of 55,500 m2.
This is a comprehensive culture facility built by public corporations. It contains an art museum and a library, respectively operated by the prefecture and the city.
This fortunate city is surrounded by a rich natural environment, with one of the major mountains of the Kanto region, Mt. Tsukuba, in the north, and the second largest lake in the country, Kasumigaura, in the east. Both of these are part of the Quasi-National Park of Suigou-Tsukuba. The area has a flat geographical feature called the Tsukuba-Inashiki Plateau, 20-30m above sea level, which is covered with Kanto Loam Layer.
Combined with level land, woods, and fields including paddy fields, the rivers running through the area from north to south (such as Kogai River, Sakura River, East and West Tanita Rivers) are the source of calm, pastoral views.
Because of its location near the Pacific Ocean, the annual average temperature is mild, 13.7oC (H7). The annual average rainfall between 1992 and 1996 was 1342.1 mm. The snowfall that occurs twice or three times in winter scarcely affects daily life. The dry wind known as "Tsukuba Oroshi" is a characteristic of the area to the south of Mt. Tsukuba.
The population of Tsukuba was 198,176 as of October 1, 2004. The population of the area was dwindling in the 1950s, but in the decade between 1975 and 1985 it increased 57% in response to the development of Tsukuba Science City. From 1989 to 1998, the population increased a further 12.7%.
The composition of households has also experienced change. The trend of living as a nuclear family (as opposed to extended family), along with the influx of students and people who live by themselves means that the number of households has increased. The number of people in each household, however, decreased from an average of 4.4 people in 1975 to 2.7 people in 2000.
The city is divided into two population areas: the Research and Education District and the Surrounding Suburban District. The projected population for Tsukuba is 220,000, with 100,000 in the Research and Education District and 120,000 in the Surrounding Suburban District. As of August 2004, the population of Tsukuba was 198,209.
Three national highways (125, 354, and 408) run through the city. There are two interchanges of the Joban Expressway in Tsukuba: Yatabe and Sakura Tsuchiura. Also, progress is being made on the ring road that will encircle Tokyo at a radius of about 40 to 60 km. This road will be called the Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway and is expected to be completed in the first half of the 21st century.
The roads of Tsukuba form a ladder-like network of three north-south trunk roads and six east-west trunk roads. Each of these trunk roads range from widths of 25 to 50 meters and have been designed for traffic safety and providing a good field of vision. There is a 48 km long network of paths for pedestrians and cyclists that reaches all corners of the Research and Education District. One of these paths, Tsukuba Koen Dori, cuts through the center of the city from north to south, and with its urban facilities, parks, and plazas has become a city landmark.
3 north-south trunk roads: Higashi Odori, Nishi Odori (Route 408), Science Dori 6 east-west trunk roads: Hiratsuka-sen, Kita Odori, Chuo Dori, Tsuchiura Gakuen sen, Minami Odori, Noda sen (Route 354)
The three closest JR train stations (Hitachi no Ushiku, Arakawa Oki, Tsuchiura) are all accessible by city bus. A new train line called Tsukuba Express is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2005. This train line will be a direct link between Tsukuba and Tokyo (Akihabara).
In the center of the city, there is a public transportation hub called Tsukuba Center. This is the starting point for many bus lines, including highway buses and buses that link to railway stations. There are highway buses to Tokyo and Ueno stations, and Narita and Haneda airports. There is also a bus that links Mt. Tsukuba and Tokyo, which helps to bring tourism to that region.
In 1991, Tsukuba Heliport was opened. Now Tsukuba can also act as a gateway to the skies!
The Tsukuba Express train is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2005. It will connect Tsukuba to Tokyo (Akihabara). The train will leave Akihabara and travel through Saitama and Chiba before reaching Tsukuba. The train line will be 58.3 km long. A total of 20 stations are planned for the line. There will be four stations in Tsukuba: Midorino, Banpaku Kinen Koen, Kenkyu Gakuen, and Tsukuba. The train will reach Akihabara in 45 minutes making Tokyo seem even closer. This new line is a project that involves 12 localities in four prefectures. The Tsukuba Express train line was built on the principle of integrated development of housing and train lines. Specific zones have been created for residences, public facilities and the railroad tracks so that city planning can progress in tandem with development of the train line. Five areas of the city are currently being developed along the train line: Kayamaru, Shimana/Fukudatsubo, Kami Kawarazaki/Nakanishi, Katsuragi, and Nakane/Kondadai.
When it is completed, the Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway will be a 300km long road that encircles Tokyo at a radius of about 40 to 60 km. It will join cities such as Yokohama, Atsugi, Hachioji, Tsukuba, Narita, and Kisarazu and will facilitate transportation and encourage alliances among these areas. In addition, by joining with various other highways (Tomei, Chuo, Kanetsu, Tohoku, Joban, Higashi Kanto, etc.) it is expected to alleviate traffic congestion, contribute to improving the environment, and act as an economic catalyst. Two interchanges on this new highway will be in Tsukuba, with the road cutting across the southwestern part of the city. In March 2003, 1.5km of highway between the Tsukuba Junction and the Tsukuba Ushiku Interchange was opened and joined to the 2.3km Route 6 Bypass that leads from Route 408 to Nishi Odori. Progress is continuing on this important road.
There are 141 parks in the city including Doho Park with its solar heated swimming pool, Ninomiya Park with its pool and tennis courts, Matsumi Park with its 45m high observation tower, and Oshimizu Park with its beautiful fountain.
There is a path for pedestrians and cyclists that extends for a total of 48 km throughout the city. The main part of this path is a 16m wide path that extends down the middle of the city center. On either side of the path are many of the city's recreational facilities and parks.
Tsukuba Science City is replete with a host of new essential amenities to enhance city life.
The founding of a new city gave us a chance to create a new kind of living space. In the central zone of the city, there are 4.7 km of utility pipes. These pipes house garbage conveyors, heating and cooling systems, electrical wires, telephone wires, sewers, water pipes, and television cables. The heating and air conditioning system was designed to keep the environment clean, prevent disasters, and conserve energy. The system provides cold water and steam to an area of approximately 31 ha. The garbage collection system (vacuum collection system) was designed to reduce the labor necessary to collect garbage. Garbage that is put into the system is pushed along by air stream to the collection area. This system covers an area of 72 ha in the center of the city. The cable television system currently has about 40,000 subscribers.
To preserve the beauty of the city as well as to avoid unnecessary road work, supply pipes and electric cables have been collectively placed in commonly-shared conduits beneath the pedestrian walkways in the city center.
In order to operate the city environment in as clean a manner as possible, to save energy, and to prevent fires, 36 ha of the city's center is supplied with cooling water for air-conditioning and steam for heating.
This is a system to collect waste through the commonly shared pipes underground. Tsukuba has been equipped with this labour saving system in order to modernize garbage collection. The system is in operation in 72 ha of the city's central area. The pipe system is about 11 km long in total.
Since 1983, a cable TV system has been in operation to provide clear transmission without hindrance from buildings or other inanimate objects. This facility is used for multiple-channel broadcasts, as well as for experiments with data transmission.
The number of people employed in Tsukuba doubled in the 25 years between 1975 and 2000. While the major industry in the area used to be agriculture, recent years have seen a great increase in jobs at research institutes and commercial establishments.
The amount of arable land in the city is decreasing as it is being taken up with development to support the increased population. The remaining areas are used mainly for growing rice, sod, and vegetables, and for breeding. Recently blueberries have become a popular crop. In the future, we need to work on ways to conserve the land and promote "local production for local consumption" to make the best use of our resources.
Tsukuba has a convenient commercial area in the center of the city with a number of large department stores. There has also been a great deal of recent development in Technopark Sakura, the Tsukuho area, and along Route 354. In addition, the commercial areas of the original towns and villages that became Tsukuba are being preserved and modernized in co-operation with the local Chamber of Commerce.
Tsukuba is home to 30% of the nation's research institutes, concentrated in 8 industrial areas. More than 120 companies are represented in this space, making Tsukuba an ideal environment for the development of leading technologies. We have developed the "Tsukuba Industrial Strategy" in order to make the best use of the unique environment of research and technology in the city, forging links between the research institutes and helping to make the best use of research results.
| Name | Location | Number of Organizations | Total Area (industrial area) |
| Kami Oshima Industrial Area | Kami Oshima | 22 | 63.8ha (56.6) |
| Tokodai Research Area | Tokodai | 22 | 89.0ha (39.0) |
| Tsukuba North Industrial Area | Wadai, Kitahara | 17 | 127.8ha (102.2) |
| Tsukuba West Industrial Area | Miyukigaoka | 15 | 101.5ha (74.9) |
| Tsukuba Technopark Oho | Okubo | 10 | 41.4ha (33.4) |
| Tsukuba Technopark Toyosato | Midorigahara | 26 | 69.0ha (56.5) |
| Tsukuba Technopark Sakura | Sakura | 7 | 65.7ha (25.4) |
| Tsukuba Research Park Hanare | Kannondai | 8 | 5.7ha (5.5) |
There are 23 public and 9 private (certified) nursery schools. There are also 17 children's halls and other facilities for children and their parents. There are children's clubs for elementary school children (grades 1 to 3) who cannot return home directly after school. Sixteen of these are run by the city and 13 are run privately.
Subsidies and allowances are available to help people with disabilities participate in society. There are 5 centers for people with disabilities in the city which can be used for rehabilitation and counseling.
The number of people in Tsukuba who are aged over 65 was 26,516 as of April 1, 2004. That represents 14.2% of the population. The city provides help for elderly people who live alone or who are not able to get around by themselves. There are 5 centers for senior citizens and they are very popular with the people of the city.
Education in Tsukuba is based on the five principles of (1) high academic standards, (2) emotional education, (3) special needs education, (4) cross-cultural understanding, and (5) information technology education. Schools are linked by an optical fiber network and can participate in interactive activities such as video conferencing. A distance education system was initiated in the summer of 2004 to help children work at their own pace from home.
The city makes good use of its Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs), who give students a chance to communicate in English. We endeavor to make an educational environment in which every student can learn how to become an independent and active participant in society. We also offer special programs that let our students meet others and learn about special topics, such as the Water 21 Symposium and the Kasumigaura Observation Tour.
The 17 community centers in the city offer various courses and lectures to the citizens. These community centers embody the city's commitment to lifelong learning.
The city also has several widely-used sports facilities and hosts popular sports events such as the Tsukuba Walk Rally and the Tsukuba Marathon.
The city's Cultural Association and Tsukuba Cultural Foundation work together to provide many artistic and cultural opportunities at Nova Hall, Tsukuba Capio, and the various community centers. The annual Tsukuba International Music Festival is held every Fall at Nova Hall. This festival treats the audience to a spectacular performance of mainly classical numbers by both Japanese and international artists.
The Tsukuba Public Library and Tsukuba Museum of Art are located in the Tsukuba Cultural Hall, Ars. Also, we can learn about the fascinating history of the Tsukuba area in facilities such as the Sakura Folklore Museum, Cultural Property Center, and the restored stilted warehouses (takayuka soko) at the ruins of Hirasawa Kanga.
The international population of Tsukuba continues to increase. As of July 31, 2004, there were around 7200 foreign residents of Tsukuba, representing 128 countries. Some are students, some are researchers, and others come to work.
The city tries to take advantage of this situation by promoting various measures for internationalization. From April 2003, the city started to hire international students to help with various duties in the International Relations section. With the help of these students, the city has been able to publish newsletters, the Living in Tsukuba guide, the My Town Tsukuba map, and the city calendar in various languages.
The city also offers information and counseling services for the foreign residents, support for groups that promote international relations, and hosts an international fair and a sports competition.
Tsukuba is paired with four sister cities (Cambridge, Irvine, Milpitas, Shenzhen).
Tsukuba is blessed with several major natural tourist areas, such as Mt. Tsukuba (877m), which is a part of the Suigo Tsukuba National Park, and Ushiku Marsh. Many people visit Mt. Tsukuba between spring and fall as it is well-loved as a simple and familiar tourist area. The mountain is home to the famed Mt. Tsukuba Shrine and plum tree forest, and houses Fureai no Sato, a place where people can experience and learn about nature. Also, Ushiku Marsh is home to mysterious legends such as the story of Kobodaishi's Hassaki Daishidou.
Also, in the central part of the city, there are many attractions, such as Matsumi Park, Doho Park, Tsukuba Expo Center, Tsukuba Space Center, Geological Museum, Tsukuba Botanical Garden, etc. These places show off Japan's spirit of innovation and leading edge technology along with its precious natural resources.
The city is blessed with several superior recreation areas, such as Yukari no Mori, Komorebe Rokuto no Mori, and a number of historical sites that help us to reflect upon our past.
In June 1999, Epochal Tsukuba, the International Congress Center was opened. This facility offers a 6-language simultaneous interpretation system, a large convention hall that can seat 1250 people, smaller seminar rooms, and a restaurant. It is a state-of-the-art facility suitable for Tsukuba's world-class research.
The Tsuchiura-Tsukuba Convention Bureau was set up to support local conventions and make the best use of Tsukuba's facilities and in 1999, Tsukuba was designated as a model city for international conventions and tourism.
Tsukuba is famous for its large collection of research and education facilities. There are 46 national and private organizations including the University of Tsukuba and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Tsukuba Space Center. These organizations cover a total area of 1453 ha.
The Tsukuba Science City Plan was revised in April 1998. The new plan includes making Tsukuba into a focal point for science and technology, creating an independent city, and helping it to become a model city for ecological living.
Also, Tsukuba has been designated as one of the core cities in the Metropolitan Area Plan. This means that we have to balance business, culture, and housing within our city and work to strengthen ties with the other core cities and Tokyo.
Topics: Tsukuba
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