 By 1900, the Jōban Line connected Mito to Tokyo, and by 1910, telephones and electric lighting were available throughout the city.More than three-quarters of the city was burned to the ground during the Mito air raid of August 2, 1945, just before the end of World War II.The borders of Mito expanded in 1955–1958 through the annexation of the neighboring villages of Kamiono, Watari, Yoshida, Sakedo, Kawawada, Yanagawa, Kunita and Iitomi and Akatsuka.