Location: Tochigi prefecture

Date establishing twin city relations: Sept 21, 1984

City profile:

Ashikaga city, located in the southwest of Tochigi prefecture in Japan, is well-known for its beautiful natural scenery and time-honored history, with the maple as the city tree and the azalea as the city flower.

The city was founded in 1921 and used to be a political, economic and cultural center in ancient times. During the Heian Period, Ashikaga was developed by Minamoto No Yoshikuni, whose descendants later became the Ashikaga clan.

Ashikaga covers an area of about 178 square kilometers with an estimated population of 144,000. It is situated about 80 kilometers north of Tokyo. It has long been noted for its textile industry, but in recent years it has also become known as an industrial and commercial city producing various aluminum and plastic products, as well as machine manufacturing.

The city has 36 state-level cultural properties, 94 at the county level and 307 at the city level. The main urban tourist attractions include Ashikaga school, Ashikaga Flower Park, Kurita Museum, Bannaji Temple and the Orihime Shrine.

The Ashikaga school (Ashikaga Gakkō) is Japan's oldest academic institution, as well as the oldest Confucius temple in Japan. It was also once the center of Japanese Confucianism.

The renowned Ashikaga school [Photo/WeChat account: jnwsb_wsb]

In the agricultural sector, Ashikaga is noted for its tomatoes. The main crops and vegetables include rice, wheat, turnips and carrots. The mountainous northwest region is favorable for growing fruit, such as strawberries and grapes, introduced into the area.