Ushiku City is located in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and belongs to the southern region of the prefecture. It was formerly part of the old Inashiki District. Geographically, Ushiku is about 50 kilometers from central Tokyo and Mito City, the prefectural capital, making it highly accessible. The JR Joban Line runs through the city, and commuting from Ushiku Station or Hitachino-Ushiku Station to central Tokyo takes approximately one hour.
The most iconic landmark in eastern Ushiku is the "Ushiku Daibutsu" (Great Buddha of Ushiku). This enormous Buddha statue is one of the city's most famous tourist attractions and symbolizes the cultural identity of the area.
There are several theories regarding the origin of the city's name. The most widely known story is a local legend from Kinryū-ji Temple in neighboring Ryūgasaki City: It is said that a lazy young monk turned into a cow and jumped into a marsh. The area was then called "ushi wo numa ga kutta," meaning "the cow was swallowed by the marsh." Over time, this phrase transformed into "ushi kuu numa" (marsh that eats cows), which eventually became "Ushiku-numa," and further influenced the naming of the city as "Ushiku."
Other theories suggest that the name may have originated from ancient Japanese language, such as a derivation from "Ushioku" (潮来), or possibly from "Uyado" (鵜宿) or "Ushuku" (卯宿). However, the legend related to Ushiku-numa remains the most widely accepted and popular explanation today.
