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Ashikaga (足利市, Ashikaga-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Ashikaga is located 80...

Ashikaga (足利市, Ashikaga-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Ashikaga is located 80 km (50 miles) north of Tokyo. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 156,917 and a density of 882.45 persons per km². The total area is 177.82 km². The city was founded on January 1, 1921. During the Heian Period, Ashikaga was developed by Minamoto no Yoshikuni, whose descendants later became the Ashikaga clan. Ashikaga 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, machine metal works and products. Ashikaga is home to Ashikaga Kogyō Daigaku Fuzoku Kōkō 足利工業大学付属高校(Ashikodai足工大) boys' high school, as well as Ashikaga Tanki Daigaku Fuzoku Kōkō 足利短期大学付属高校(Ashitandai足短大) girls' high school. These schools are notable due to a 19-year standing foreign exchange program with Elk Grove High School, in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The city was also recently named a special area for English education by the Japanese government, as all the junior high schools have native English-speaking ALTs, three hailing from Ashikaga's sister City, Springfield (Illinois), United