Ibaraki Hidden Gems
Kanto's quiet garden — seaside cliffs, flower parks and one of Japan's great landscape gardens, all within reach of Tokyo.
7 spots
Climate & Best Season
Mild and relatively dry, with warm summers and little snow. Spring (nemophila) and autumn (kochia) are the signature seasons.
Famous For (Food)
- Natto
- Melon
- Anko-nabe (monkfish hotpot)
- Chestnuts
Signature Sights
- Hitachi Seaside Park
- Kairakuen plum garden
- Fukuroda Falls
- Ushiku Daibutsu
Hitachi Seaside Park — Blue Nemophila Hills
Hitachi Seaside Park transforms twice a year into one of Japan's most photographed landscapes. In late April through mid…
Kairakuen Garden — Plum Blossom Poetry
Kairakuen is one of Japan's Three Great Gardens, but unlike the meticulous aristocratic gardens of Kanazawa and Okayama,…
Mount Tsukuba — Sacred Twin Peaks Cable Car
Mount Tsukuba is a twin-peaked mountain rising 877 meters from rice fields and suburban sprawl, visible from Tokyo on cl…
Oarai Aquarium — Shark & Jellyfish Wonderland
Aqua World Oarai is one of Japan's largest aquariums, specializing in sharks (54 species, the most of any aquarium in Ja…
Oarai Beach — Pacific Coast Sandscape
Oarai Sun Beach is a 1.5-kilometer crescent of pale sand facing the Pacific, backed by pine groves and bordered by rocky…
Senba Lake Cycling — Lakeside Loop Trail
Senba Lake is a narrow, 12-kilometer-long reservoir on the northern edge of Mito City, created by damming the Naka River…
Ajigaura Beach — Surfing & Coastal Escape
Ajigaura Beach is a 4-kilometer stretch of sandy coastline facing the open Pacific, known as one of Kanto's best surf br…