Mito natto水戸納豆
Sticky fermented soybeans, a Mito speciality often sold wrapped in straw.
Kanto
Ibaraki Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
Northeast of Tokyo, Ibaraki is known for Hitachi Seaside Park’s flower hills, Mito’s Kairakuen plum garden, Fukuroda Falls and Mount Tsukuba.
Open Ibaraki on the map37 places on the map · 15 local favourites
Local tips
- TipJR Joban Line limited expresses run from Tokyo to Mito and Katsuta; Hitachi Seaside Park is a bus ride from Katsuta.
- Heads upThe blue nemophila bloom peaks around Golden Week and gets extremely crowded; arrive right at opening.
- DoVisit Kairakuen in February and March, when its thousands of plum trees bloom.
- TipMount Tsukuba is easy from Tokyo via the Tsukuba Express and a shuttle bus, with a cable car and ropeway to the top.
- TipHidden gem: Oarai Isosaki Shrine’s torii gate, standing on a rock in the surf, is striking at sunrise.
What to eat
Anko nabe (monkfish hotpot)あんこう鍋
A rich winter hotpot of monkfish, best eaten along the northern Ibaraki coast in the cold months.
Hoshi-imo (dried sweet potato)干し芋
Chewy, naturally sweet dried sweet potato; Ibaraki produces most of Japan’s supply.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Koga City Museum of History
古河歴史博物館 Sights & HistoryA thoughtfully designed museum in Koga's old castle-town quarter, with stone-paved lanes and samurai houses nearby. Hardly any visitors from abroad.
● Mostly localsKijo Park, Tsuchiura
亀城公園 Sights & HistoryThe remains of Tsuchiura Castle, with an original gate tower, moat and old trees in the town centre. A peaceful local park with a real Edo-period gate.
● Mostly localsKasumigaura Park
霞ヶ浦総合公園 Nature & SceneryA lakeside park on Japan's second-largest lake with a working Dutch windmill and seasonal flower beds. A relaxed local spot at sunset.
● Mostly localsTsumugi no Yakata, Yuki
結城 つむぎの館 ShoppingExperiencesA museum-shop in Yuki devoted to Yuki-tsumugi, a hand-spun silk weave. See weavers at work and try a short weaving experience.
● Mostly localsTsukinoi Shuzoten, Oarai
月の井酒造店 Local FoodA small family sake brewery in Oarai town making clean, dry sake to go with the local seafood. The shop offers tastings and brewery-only bottles.
● Mostly localsIbaraki Flower Park
いばらきフラワーパーク Nature & SceneryA hillside garden in Ishioka with hundreds of rose varieties and views across farmland to Mount Tsukuba.
● Mostly localsKasama Nichido Museum of Art
笠間日動美術館 Sights & HistoryA surprising collection of Western and Japanese art in rural Kasama, including famous Impressionist names and a room of artists' painted palettes.
● Mostly localsMito & Kairaku-en
Nature & ScenerySights & HistoryMito is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture and home to Kairaku-en, one of Japan's three great gardens, celebrated for its stunning plum blossoms in late winter. Often…
● Mostly localsTsukuba Expo Center
つくばエキスポセンター ExperiencesA science museum in the research city of Tsukuba with a life-size H-II rocket outside and a large planetarium. Popular with local families.
● Mostly localsOarai Kaachan no Mise
大洗 かあちゃんの店 Local FoodA fishermen's-cooperative canteen by Oarai port run by local fishing wives, serving whatever came in that morning. Simple, fresh and very local.
● Mostly localsSakatsura Isosaki Jinja
酒列磯前神社 Temples & GoshuinchoA quiet shrine in Hitachinaka reached by a tunnel of camellia trees. It is linked to Oarai Isosaki Jinja and draws people praying for luck.
● Mostly localsFukuroda Onsen
袋田温泉 Hot SpringsA small hot-spring village near Fukuroda Falls, with riverside inns that open their baths to day visitors. Pair it with the falls on a winter trip.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Mount Tsukuba
Nature & ScenerySights & HistoryMount Tsukuba is one of Japan's most celebrated mountains, rising distinctively with twin peaks over the Kanto Plain in Ibaraki Prefecture. Revered since ancient times…
Hitachi Seaside Park
Nature & SceneryExperiencesA vast seaside park in Ibaraki Prefecture famous for its spectacular seasonal flowers, including sweeping fields of nemophila in spring and kochia in autumn. It's one…
Souvenirs to bring home
Mito natto, hoshi-imo and Kasama-ware pottery are classic souvenirs.
When to go
February–March for plum blossoms, late April to early May for nemophila, and October for red kochia at Hitachi Seaside Park; go early to beat holiday crowds.