is a town located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,867 in 6,881 households and a population density of . The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 34.0%. The total area of the town is . The Japan Atomic Energy Agency operates a research center in à Âarai with a number of nuclear research reactors, including the Jà Âyà  and High-temperature engineering test reactor facilities.
Located on the coast of central Ibaraki Prefecture, Ã Âarai is located in the flatlands near the Pacific Ocean, and borders Lake Hinuma, the 30th largest body of freshwater in Japan. The Naka River flows through the town. Ã Âarai and Sun Beach bathing beaches were first to introduce barrier-free bathing beaches for the disabled in Japan.
à Âarai has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cold winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in à Âarai is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .
Per Japanese census data, the population of à Âarai has declined steadily over the past 70 years.
The villages of Isohama and à Ânuki within Higashiibaraki District and the village of Natsumi within Kashima District were created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. à Ânuki was elevated to town status on January 26, 1894. à Ânuki and Isohama merged on November 3, 1954, to create the town of à Âarai. A portion of Natsumi was annexed by à Âarai on July 23, 1955.
In 1928, Nisshà  Inoue, the founder of the far-right militant organization , relocated to à Âarai, where he established , which served as a youth training center advocating a militarist revolution in Japan, eventually resulting in the 1932 League of Blood Incident.
Since 1998 the chief of a factory association in Oarai has invited Japanese descendants and migrants from North Sulawesi, Indonesia, to work for seafood industries. A majority of the Indonesian inhabitants were later arrested for being undocumented.
à Âarai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 12 members. à Âarai, together with neighboring Hokota and Ibaraki, contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Ibaraki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
The nuclear industry and government largess form the basis of the local economy. Main agricultural products include rice, sweet potatoes and Japanese radish. The commercial fishing industry is important, and main fishery products include whitebait, sardines, flounder and clams. Marine food processing includes salted and dried horse mackerel, smelt and sardines and boiled octopus.
â Kashima Rinkai Railway à Âarai Kashima Line
à Âarai attracts 3 million visitors a year. Tourist attractions include bathing beaches, yacht and cruiser marina, marine sports, camping site, fishing, aquarium, and a famous golf course. It is known for its monkfish.
The à Âarai Ankou Festival is held yearly, since 1996, and features a range of traditional activities.
The city has become an anime pilgrimage location due to being the setting for the popular franchise Girls und Panzer. The main characters of the animated series study in a huge ship originally based in à Âarai. Real locations in the city are depicted faithfully, prompting fans to visit the town and giving a boost to local commerce.