About Mito City

1. Mito City (Japanese: 水戸市/双之L Mito shi) is a city in central Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and the seat of the Ibaraki Prefectural Government. It is located in the northeast of the Kanto region and has a population of about 260,000. It is one of the core cities. 2. The Naka River flows through the city and into the Pacific Ocean, and the city is divided into north and south by the Joban Line. Mito City is the birthplace of the Mito Tokugawa family and is famous for Mito Komon (Tokugawa Mitsukuni), and Kairakuen in the city is famous for its plum blossoms. 3. After the Meiji era, the consumption and production of natto in the city were very prosperous, so Mito natto became a local specialty. The population of the Mito metropolitan area is about 660,000 (2000), and Mito City also has the goal of merging with neighboring cities and towns to become a government-designated city. The place name "Mito" comes from the prosperous river port of the Naka River, which is the "gateway to water transportation" (水運の戸口). 4. As for when the name began to be used, there is no conclusion, but it is said to have appeared around 1400 AD (Muromachi period). It has a long history, and the environment here is also good.