Ami Town in Ibaraki Prefecture, which had aimed for city status by November 2027, announced on the 11th that it would postpone this transition due to the results of the national census conducted in the autumn of 2025, which showed a population below the required threshold. The town had reports in November 2023 indicating it had surpassed the population of 50,000 for the first time. Following this, preparations for the transition to city status were initiated with the establishment of a city status preparation office in fiscal year 2024. However, the preliminary results from the census showed that their population was just 49,689, falling short by 311 people.

The town is known for its good transportation links, including the Ushiku-Ami Interchange on the Joban Expressway and JR Arakawaoki Station in the nearby city of Tsuchiura, which facilitates residential developments and attracts younger populations. Despite this setback, Mayor Shigeru Chiba expressed his surprise at the census results being lower than expected, particularly as the town had maintained a population above 50,000 since November 2023. He emphasized the disappointment felt by both residents and staff who were eagerly anticipating the establishment of the new city.

In light of the census outcome, the city status preparation office will be temporarily disbanded, with plans to aim for city status only after the confirmed census results from the 2030 survey. The Ministry of Internal Affairs noted the last successful transition from town to city was in October 2018 in Nakagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture, indicating that Ami Town remains committed to following a direction toward growth, supported by local policies to boost population and community development initiatives.