Ibaraki
Tsukuba Science City: 29 national research institutes, JAXA, KEK; plus Japan's largest vegetable producer. 2026: testing if planned science cities can become real ones.
Ibaraki exists in Tokyo's scientific shadow. Tsukuba Science City, built from scratch in the 1960s-70s, hosts 29 national research institutes and two universities—Japan's largest concentration of research facilities. JAXA, KEK (particle physics), AIST (industrial science), and dozens of others cluster across a planned city that attempted to decentralize Tokyo's intellectual functions.
The experiment partially succeeded. Tsukuba University ranks among Japan's top research institutions. The region produces fundamental science and technological innovation. But Tsukuba never became a true city—researchers commute from Tokyo or move when projects end. The planned community lacks the organic growth that creates urban life.
Beyond Tsukuba, Ibaraki remains agricultural—one of Japan's leading producers of vegetables, particularly melons and chestnuts. The coast offers beaches within day-trip distance from Tokyo. Hitachi, the electronics giant, takes its name from the city where it was founded. By 2026, Ibaraki's question is whether Tsukuba's 50-year experiment in creating a science city can evolve into something more permanent—or whether it remains Tokyo's research satellite, brilliant but rootless.