Koga, Ibaraki
Encyclopedia
is a city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in Ibaraki
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

Old City of Koga

The city has its origins in the Tokugawa period when a castle was built in the 16th century at the river crossing point and a town sprang up around it. The site of the castle is still visible near Koga 1st elementary school. The modern city was founded on August 1, 1950. It has many old shrines like Suzume jinja. Some are dedicated to O-inari and some old temples like Hase Kannon. Sogo Koen Park near the Watarase river is a lovely place for all the family and was formally a summer palace for a local shogun.It has two restored 17th century farmhouses like Old Nakayama house.Takami Senseki house/museum near the history museum is also Edo period.
There is a literary museum also located in the city.

Navel Park in Sowa machi has outdoor and barbecue facilities for families. Koga west of the station is old and has many old buildings. Many of the streets are cobbled. The Koga historical museum and Art museum are located here. But east of the station is new and has many residential and shopping areas. Koga is famous for its cabbage known as kabutsu.There are many matsuri or festivals. In the last week of March is MoMo or Peach Blossom festival. Then on the first week of August there is a Hanabi or fireworks festival held by the river (Koga Dote) and in early December there is a lantern festival known as Cho Chim. This term translates as lantern battle.

On September 12, 2005 Koga absorbed the towns of Sanwa
Sanwa, Ibaraki
Sanwa is a town located in Sashima District, Ibaraki, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 39,220 and a density of 787.87 persons per km². The total area is 49.78 km²....

 and Sōwa
Sōwa, Ibaraki
was a town located in Sashima District, Ibaraki, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 48,810 and a density of 924.43 persons per km². The total area was 52.80 km²....

, both from Sashima District
Sashima District, Ibaraki
Sashima is a district located in Ibaraki, Japan.Following the Bandō merger but with 2004 population data, the district has an estimated population of 125,153 and a density of 726 persons per km²...

, to create the new city of Koga.

New City of Koga

The new city hall is now located at the former town of Sōwa.

As of January 1, 2008, the new city has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

of 144,392. The total area is 123.58 km².

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