Ibaraki

ARTICLE

• Mito Plum Blossom Festival

  

  14.06.2018

• Stay at Jicca Guesthouse

  

  09.03.2018

• Mito Overview

  

  09.03.2018

• The Architecture of Ibaraki

  

  09.03.2018

• Ibaraki Overview

  

  09.03.2018

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Best Events

• Festivals

  

  • Hitachi Otsu Ofune Festival

• Cherry Blossom

  

  • Heiwa-dori Street

• Fireworks Festivals

  

  • Mito Komon Festival Fireworks Show
  • Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition

SPOT

• Hitachi Seaside Park

  

  A national park located in Hitachinaka City in Ibaraki Prefecture. The spacious grounds, totaling some 200 hectares, are filled with huge flower gardens. The nemophila in summer and bassia in autumn are particularly attractive seasonal plants. When in bloom, the park’s 4.5 million blue nemophila seem to bleed into the sky, creating a stunning sight. The fluffy bassia in autumn turning the area scarlet. The park also has a cycling course and barbecue area, making a perfect place for the whole family to enjoy an entire day together.

• Club Murz

  

  This club has enjoyed lasting popularity among local young people, due to its regular schedule of appealing events, including DJs, dancers, live performances, and concerts in a wide variety of genres. In addition to the club, the building also houses a cocktail lounge and rental spaces. In addition, the owners use their space to operate a dance school.

• Voice

  

  The largest club in the city of Mito and the northern Kanto region, this establishment is proud of its high-quality sound equipment. Formerly a movie theater, this building was remodeled into a club with high ceilings that give it an open and airy atmosphere that feels safe and friendly. During the day, the building functions as an event space for movies, live music, and dance.

• Izuramisaki Park

  

  A 15 minute drive from the Kita-Ibaraki Interchange. A small park on the tip of Cape Otsu jutting out into the Pacific Ocean with a view of the Rokkakudo, a red hexagonal pavilion and local landmark. Situated on a cliff a little above the ocean, the scenery as seen from the park is gorgeous and like something out of a painting. The park has walking courses, benches, and roofed rest area. The park was also used as a filming location for the movie “Tenshin” and has a memorial viewing tower dedicated to remembering the Great East Japan Earthquake. Come on a sunny day and enjoy a picnic lunch on the park’s lawn.

• Ushiku City Iris Garden

  

  A municipal park located in Jochu-cho, Ushiku City where visitors can enjoy seasonal flowers. 8,000 square meters in size, some 20 thousand iris plants consisting of around 200 different varieties, such as Japanese and rabbitear irises, grow on the park’s grounds. From early to late June each year, the park fills with beautiful purple, white, and yellow blossoms. The park is equipped with easily walkable paths and viewing platforms. A lovely row of cherry trees standing along the banks of the Inari River bloom in spring, while red spider lilies blossom in September.

• Cormorant capture ground

  

  An eight minute drive from the Hitachikita Interchange. Located on “Cape Cormorant” in Juo-cho, Hitachi City, this area is the only location in the country where cormorants are captured for provision to other parts of Japan. The captured cormorants are provided to 11 cormorant fishing areas in the country such as the Nagara River in Gifu. The area is only open to the general public from January to March and from July to September, times when visitors will not obstruct the capturing of cormorants. A dedicated tunnel, containing informational panels on cormorants, provides passage to the cliffs where the cormorants are captured. Visitors can also learn about the ecology of cormorants and how they are captured by one of the capturers.

• Ume Cafe WAON

  

  An ume (Japanese apricot) cafe located a 20 minute walk from Oarai Station. A reimagining of a long-standing umeboshi (pickled Japanese apricot) and pickles shop in business since 1830, WAON is Japan's first ever ume cafe. In WAON's comfortable confines, you can enjoy cafe staples made with ume varieties such as Hitachi no Ume, Ibaraki Prefecture's first brand ume. When ordering the grilled onigiri rice ball covered with tea and umeboshi, or the umeboshi onigiri plate, you can select from among nine varieties of umeboshi. The cafe also serves drinks and sweets made with ume, like the Hitachi no Ume roll cake, which is made with two different colors of ume.

• Museum of Umeshu and Sake Besshunkan

  

  A sake brewery open to tourists which has been in operation since the Edo period, Besshunkan is a 20 minute drive from the Mito Interchange. The brewery's name is derived from a famous phrase uttered by the samurai renowned sake-lover, Tokugawa Mitsukuni: Hai no naka ni ha betsu no haru ga aru-Another spring can be found in a sake cup. Meiri Shuri sake, shochu, umeshu, and other liquors are displayed and sold on the first floor, while the museum on the second floor presents the tools and methods used to produce sake in the olden days. Visitors can also tour the adjoining sake brewery. You can sample umeshu and other products and of course purchase your favorites. Particularly recommended are the Daiginjo Fukushugun, a 12 time gold prize winner; and the Hyakunen Umeshu Premium, winner of the Mito Umeshu Tournament.

• Oarai Maiwai Market

  

  A 10 minute drive from the Mito-Oarai Interchange. A market located inside Oarai Seaside Market Station (formerly Oarai Resort Outlet) selling local specialty products. Offering fresh vegetables from local farms, seafood, local products, light meals, souvenirs, and an abundant variety of other select goods, the market is a frequent destination for both tourists and locals alike. The market also carries a wide selection of merchandise for the hit anime “Girls und Panzer,” which is set in Oarai. The foods made with select Ibaraki ingredients are particularly recommended. Popular souvenirs include dried fish, the market’s own dried sweet potatoes, and dried seasonal vegetables.