Koga, Ibaraki


Koga is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 140,770, and a population density of 1140 persons per km2. Its total area is.

Geography

Koga is located in the extreme southwestern corner of Ibaraki Prefecture

Surrounding municipalities

Koga developed in the Muromachi period as the Koga kubō, a secondary government created by the Ashikaga shogunate to rule eastern Japan. However, the site has been inhabited since the Jōmon period and was one of the largest centers for iron production in eastern Japan in the Heian period. In the Sengoku period, it developed into a castle town and became the seat of the daimyō of Koga Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate.
The town of Koga was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the municipalities system. The modern city was founded on August 1, 1950.
On September 12, 2005, Koga absorbed the towns of Sanwa and Sōwa to create the new and expanded city of Koga. The new city hall is now located at the former town of Sōwa.

Economy

Koga was known in the Meiji period through early Shōwa period as a center for sericulture. At present, the economy is highly industrialized, with the number of factories as second within Ibaraki Prefecture, after Hitachi city.

Education

Koga has 23 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and six high schools.

Transportation

Railway