Article

08225 ／ひたちおおみやし

Hitachiomiya City

A jar with a human face near its neck.

Human-faced jar, Izumisakashita

Photo by MChew (CC0)

01 ／ Revolving stage

A stage with no blueprint is raisedfrom local memory and know-how.

The Nishishiogo revolving stage is a rural kabuki stage assembled afresh for each performance. According to the city, it takes over 200 timbers and over 300 madake bamboo poles and more than a month to build, then one day to take down. The city newsletter says it has no plans, relying on the preservation society's memory and skills learned outside the prefecture.

Over 200 timbers, over 300 bamboo poles
More than a month to build, one day to dismantle
No blueprint (city newsletter)

02 ／ Submersible bridge

The "chiri-yoke" guard against drift debriswas first built of surplus national railway rails.

Hirayama Bridge is a submersible bridge over the Kuji River, built where the "Hirayama no Watashi" ferry crossing stood. The city newsletter (May 2007) says a slanted iron post, the "chiri-yoke", stands upstream; when set up in 1965 it was made of surplus national railway rails and concrete.

Set up in 1965 (originally)
National railway rails and concrete
Built at the "Hirayama no Watashi" ferry site

03 ／ Stone mirror

A fault surface once polished enough to reflect a faceis identified with the Fudoki's "stone mirror".

Kagami-iwa (Mirror Rock) is a smooth fault surface, identified with the "stone mirror" in the Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki. The city's tourism guide says fault friction once polished it enough to reflect a face. It is a natural monument designated by Ibaraki Prefecture, and the city's heritage map notes heavy weathering.

Natural monument designated by Ibaraki Prefecture
Identified with the Fudoki's "stone mirror"
Surface polished by fault friction

Hitachiomiya City from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot May–July 2022)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

125 minutes from Tokyo Station by reserved highway bus.

about 40,000 people

On Ibaraki Kotsu's Daigo-Ota Line (revised 6 July 2026), the bus leaving Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit at 15:10 reaches the Sogo Hoken Center stop at 17:15. All seats are reserved. By rail, change to the Suigun Line at Mito Station; the city says 35 minutes from Mito.

People living here: 39,267people
Area: 348.45km²
Households: 15,643households
Rent (average for rentals): 42,777yen
Healthcare: 2 hospitals ／ 23 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —12 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Hitachiomiya City in Japan36.542°N 140.411°E

to TokyoHighway bus125min

Travel times follow 茨城交通（事業者公式）の高速バス『大子・大宮・常陸太田 ─ 那珂IC ─ 東京駅・バスタ新宿（大子・太田線）』の下り時刻表（2026.7.6 改正）。東京駅八重洲南口発の毎日運転の便（大子1号・大子3号）で、常陸大宮市総合保健センター着までを数えた (checked 2026-10-22). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 7 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Hitachiomiya City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

25.9km

Ibaraki Prefecture: Hitachiota City, Daigo Town, Shirosato Town, Naka City
Tochigi Prefecture: Motegi Town, Nakagawa Town, Nasukarasuyama City

Hitachiomiya City isthis kind of town.

01The Izumisakashita Site is a Middle Yayoi reburial-tomb site; its human-faced jar "Izumi" is 77.7 cm tall, a national Important Cultural Property that the city calls the largest in Japan
02The Nishishiogo revolving stage, a rural kabuki stage built from over 200 timbers and over 300 bamboo poles and dismantled in a day; its floor materials, great curtain and other parts are a folk cultural property designated by Ibaraki Prefecture
03The city newsletter says the "chiri-yoke" at Hirayama Bridge over the Kuji River was first made of surplus national railway rails and other materials

See the town as it is now.

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Hitachiomiya City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes