Chikusei City was formed in 2005 through the merger of four cities and towns. Agriculture is thriving, and the city boasts the highest pear production in Ibaraki Prefecture. Other thriving crops include Kodama watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, and rice. The city's "Milky Queen" rice won the top prize in the Yamagata Prefecture Rice Contest. Local specialties include Hitachi soba noodles and Sekijo pears. The Shimodate Gion Festival, famous for the 2-ton Heisei Mikoshi (portable shrine), the largest in Japan, is held every July for four days. Popular tourist attractions include the Naigaijingu Shrine, a nationally designated cultural property; the wooden Kannon Bodhisattva statue; and the ruins of Sekijo Castle.