Tsukuba, Research metropolis in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Tsukuba is a research city in Ibaraki Prefecture, located about 60 km northeast of Tokyo. The place combines scientific facilities with residential neighborhoods, parks and the forested Mount Tsukuba rising in the eastern part.
The city formed in 1987 through the merger of several towns, after the government decided in the 1960s to establish a national science center here. Since then, dozens of research institutes and universities have settled, shaping the urban landscape to this day.
Scientists from around the world work side by side and shape daily life with international restaurants, research events and multilingual signs in many locations. The institutes regularly open their doors for guided tours, allowing visitors to see laboratories and experimental facilities up close.
The fastest route into town follows the Tsukuba Express line, which runs directly from central Tokyo. Locally, buses serve the research facilities and the base of the mountain, while many visitors also get around by bicycle.
Laboratories here developed high-temperature superconductors that later came into use worldwide. Today engineers test earthquake-resistant building techniques at full scale on dedicated platforms to make future construction safer.
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