Welcome to Hitachi City

Hitachi City is blessed with rich nature and a mild climate, where the Abukuma mountains lie in the west and undulated Pacific coastline can be seen from the east. Since the Meiji period, modern industry mainly in mining and electrical machinery has been developed in the city, making Hitachi one of the leading industrial cities in Japan.

Hitachi City has been chosen as one of Japan’s 100 best cherry blossom spots, and holds the Hitachi Sakura Festival every spring, in the midst of rows of cherry blossoms in full bloom, attracting many people.
Another attractive aspect of the city is its easy access, and it only takes 1.5 hours from Tokyo by the Japan Rail Joban Line express train.

Hitachi City has a sister city relationship with Tauranga City in New Zealand and the two cities have been conducting many programs such as alternating official visits by the respective mayoral delegations, student exchange program, and a quilt art exchange program.

There are also active interactions of residents. For example, Girl Scouts of Hitachi City participated in the ceremony in March 2023 to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of the sister city relationship.

Last April, a delegation led by the Commission Chair of Tauranga City visited Hitachi City to participate in the 7^th Sister City Conference, where attendees including the mayors of both cities discussed about exchanges in different areas including culture, economy and tourism. The conference ended with both cities agreeing to further strengthen the relationship moving forward.

The high school students from Tauranga also visited Hitachi City in October to participate in homestays, school classes and Japanese cultural experiences, and they were able to have deep interaction through these programs. Some of the students were crying when they said their goodbyes to their host families, which reflected the invaluable experience between the residents of both cities. After their return to Tauranga, the students have continued to meet online with the host high schools, and some students are even considering studying in Hitachi City in the future, indicating the great outcome of the exchange program.

Hitachi City will continue these exchanges so that the bond with Tauranga City will stay strong for many years to come.