Tsukuba, Ibaraki

Tsukuba (Japanese: つくば市; -shi; from Han character 筑波) is a planned city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 195,686 and a population density of 688.87 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km².

The city was founded on November 30, 1987 as a "Science City." It is home to more than 60 research institutes, including the University of Tsukuba , the KEK high-energy research center, and the main research center of the NASDA space agency.

The world's fair (Expo '85 ) was held there in 1985, and is commemorated by a full-scale rocket in the city park.

Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known for its toad-shaped Shinto shrine, is located near the city.

External links

• Official website in Japanese