Geography

Ibaraki occupies the northeastern part of the Kanto area. On the east is the Pacific Ocean, north is Fukushima, west is Tochigi as well as a small section of Saitama, and south is Chiba with the Tone River as the boundary. East to west is 80 kilometers, and north to south 150 kilometers. Japan's second largest lake, Kasumigaura, is in the southern part. The northern area's predominant geographic feature is the Yamizo Mountain Terrain between the Abukuma Highland and Mount Tsukuba. The rest of the prefecture is mainly flat land, the eastern area of the Kanto Plains.

Industry & Economy

Ibaraki has more cultivated lands than Nilgata Prefecture, and its agricultural industry is second only to Hokkaido. The number of people engaged in agriculture is larger than any other Kanto prefecture. Because of its proximity to Tokyo which consumes so much food, the production of lotus root, Chinese cabbage, and burdock is the highest in the nation. Its shoreline lacks good seaports, Iimiting fishing industry potential. The prefecture is experiencing healthy growth at Mito, the Katsuta area, and the Kashima marine industrial district. It is supported by the mining industry at Hitachi with its connection to the Joban coal fields in Fnkushima, and Tokai Village with Japan's first nuclear-power plant. The construction of Tsukuba Research University City has greatly improved the whole image of the prefecture.

Cultural Background

The rule of the Mito Family, one of three major Tokugawa clans, greatly influenced the cultural foundations of Ibaraki. Its ultranationalism helped during war times, but when peace came, it was a negative factor. The Mito Philosophy has promoted the spiritual life of the people, with a strong emphasis on Confucian morals, and the importance of education. This is especially felt in the northern area, centering in Mito city. The area from Tsuchiura and south serves as a commuter town for Tokyo, and with rapid population growth has a freer cultural atmosphere.

Religious Milieu

A national survey showed that Ibaraki has the least number of people claiming to have religious bcliefs and it further indicated that less people believe in Buddhism than in any other prefecture. A sense of cohesiveness derived from the local community is very strong. This leads to a family religion mentality, Ieaving no room for individual faith. This is less true in the southern areas where there are many new housing developments. The well-known shrines are Kashima Shrine (used as headquarters by the Ancient Yamato Government for ruling the eastern area of the nation) and Kasama Inari Shrine (famous for pottery).

The Mission

As is typical for an agricultural society, people are conservative and value family relationships. This can be positive, since once the gospel takes root, people remain very faithful. The Christian work here inludes the Ibaraki Christian University founded after the War. Liebenzeller Mission, and the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) and others have faithfully carried out work here.