Ashikaga Flower Park: Ashikaga, Japan

Ashikaga is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of May 2015, the city had an estimated population of 149,711 and a population density of 842 persons per km². Its total area was 177.76 km²

History
During the Heian Period, Ashikaga was developed by Minamoto no Yoshikuni, whose descendants later became the Ashikaga clan. The area was noted from this period for its academy, the Ashikaga Gakko. During the Edo period, it was the center ofAshikaga Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the town of Ashikaga within Ashikaga District, Tochigi was established with the creation of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was elevated to city status on January 1, 1921. Ashikaga annexed the neighboring village of Keno on March 3, 1951 and the town of Yamabe on April 1, 1953. This was followed on August 1, 1954 by the villages of Mie and Yamamae, and on November 1, 1954 by the villages of Kitago and Nagusa. On April 1, 1959 Ashikaga annexed the village of Tomita, and the northern half of the village of Yabagawa on July 1, 1960. On October 1, 1962 Ashikaga annexed the towns of Mikuriya and Sakanishi. Ashikaga District was dissolved by this final merger.

Geography

Ashikaga is located in the far southwestern corner of Tochigi Prefecture, bordering on Gunma Prefecture to the north, west and south. The Watarase River flows through the center of the city. It is located approximately 80 km north of Tokyo.

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