Tsukuba sits on the Tsukuba Inashiki Plateau, which is has an altitude of 20 to 30m and includes the entire area south of Mt. Tsukuba. This plateau was created from the ash (Kanto Loam) that accumulated over tens of thousands of years from volcanoes such as Mt. Fuji and Mt. Asama. This fertile area provides an ideal environment for farmland and beautiful forests. The ruins of Oda castle, the residence of the medieval rulers of the Hitachi area, can be found in Tsukuba. The ruins have been designated as an important national historical site.
During the Edo Period, this area was presided over by the lords of various clans such as Tsuchiya of the Tsuchiura clan and Hosokawa of the Yatabe clan. This continued until the Meiji Restoration. Most of the 6 former towns and villages that make up Tsukuba City came into being around 1956.
Oho Town was created in 1953. Hasunuma (Kurihara Village) was added in the same year, Kaname (Asahi Village) was added in 1955, and Yoshinuma Village merged with the town in 1956.
In 1955, Asahi Village and Kamigo Town merged to become Toyosato Town. The following year, part of Yoshinuma Village was added.
One town (Yatabe) and four villages (Shimana, Onogawa, Katsuragi, and most of Mase) merged to become Yatabe Town in 1955.
Sakura village was born in 1955 from the merging of Sakae, Kokonoe, and Kurihara villages.
The Town of Tsukuba was created from the original Tsukuba Town, Tai Village, Hojo Town, Tamiyama Village, and Oda Village in 1955. Sakuoka Village was added in 1956 and Sugama Village was added in 1957.
Kukizaki Village was created in 1889 from the merging of 11 villages (Oguki, Takasaki, Kami Iwasaki, etc.) The village became Kukizaki Town on January 1, 1983.
Tsukuba was chosen from among four possible candidates (the base of Mt. Fuji, Akagi, Nasu, Tsukuba) to become a new Science City. Cabinet approval was achieved in September 1963 and development began to make the area covered by the 6 towns and villages into Tsukuba Science City.
To commemorate the founding of the new Science City, Expo '85 was held in Tsukuba with the theme of "Dwellings and Surroundings - Science and Technology for Man at Home". Through this international science exposition, the name of Tsukuba Science City became known throughout Japan and the rest of the world. The expo provided the impetus for the towns to start merging. On November 30, 1987, Oho Town, Toyosato Town, Yatabe Town, and Sakura Village merged to become Tsukuba City. Tsukuba City became the 20th new city in Ibaraki Prefecture and the 655th new city in Japan. Tsukuba Town merged with Tsukuba City the following year, and on November 1, 2002, Kukizaki Town completed the process.
Development is proceeding on the Tsukuba Express train line and the new Metropolitan Inter-City Expressway. The City of Tsukuba is based on the philosophy of its "Citizen's Charter" which sets the policy of people, nature, and science living in harmony. We are working hard to make this a model city for the 21st century.
Topics: Tsukuba
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