Tsukuba Population 2026

Tsukuba has a population of 241,656, making it the #103 biggest city in 🇯🇵 Japan, located in Ibaraki. Roughly 0.2% of Japan's population lives here. It is about 40× smaller than Tokyo, the country's biggest city.

Location of Tsukuba (capital Tokyo shown for reference). Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Population (city proper)

241,656

Rank in Japan

#103

Coordinates

36.08°N, 140.12°E

~27 m elevation · Asia/Tokyo

Distance to capital (Tokyo)

58 km

36 miles, straight line

Other big cities in Ibaraki

City	Population	Rank in Japan
Mito	270,685	#88
Hitachi	174,508	#140
Hitachi-Naka	156,581	#163
Katsuta	155,968	#164
Tsuchiura	144,399	#179
Koga	139,344	#189
Toride	104,524	#260
Chikusei	100,753	#271

Cities near Tsukuba

Naka53,137 people · ~6 km away
Tsuchiura144,399 people · ~8 km away
Ami48,553 people · ~9 km away
Ushiku84,651 people · ~13 km away
Ishige24,948 people · ~14 km away
Kasumigaura40,087 people · ~14 km away

FAQ

What is the population of Tsukuba?

Tsukuba has a population of 241,656 (city proper, latest official figure via GeoNames), making it the #103 biggest city in Japan.

What region is Tsukuba in?

Tsukuba is located in Ibaraki, Japan.

Is Tsukuba the capital of Japan?

No, the capital of Japan is Tokyo, about 58 km away.

Sources & notes

Population refers to the city proper (municipal boundaries), not the metropolitan area. Source: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 2026-07-07. Country data: UN World Population Prospects 2024.

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