Ibaraki
Ibaraki: Places to Visit
Food · Things to do · Where to stay
Most visitors to Ibaraki go to Hitachi Seaside Park for its seasonal flowers and to Mito for Kairakuen, one of the three major Japanese gardens. The JR Joban Line runs from Ueno Station, with the Hitachi limited express between Ueno and Mito; the park's nearest station is Katsuta on the same line, and an express bus from Tokyo Station's Yaesu side takes about two hours.
Tsukuba, with Mt. Tsukuba and Tsukuba Space Center, is on the Tsukuba Express from Akihabara. Major Ibaraki stations can also be reached from Narita on the JR Narita Line, and Ibaraki Airport is outside Mito.
Places in Ibaraki
- Hitachi Seaside Park — Nemophila bloom from mid-April to early May, and the kochia turn from green to red from mid-September to early October; the nearest station is Katsuta.
- Mito and Kairakuen — Kairakuen, established in 1842 by Tokugawa Nariaki, has around 3,000 plum trees of about 100 varieties, blooming from early February to late March.
- Tsukuba — Mt. Tsukuba for hiking, and Tsukuba Space Center with space exhibits and actual spacecraft; on the Tsukuba Express from Akihabara.
- Oarai — On the coast, where the torii of Oarai Isosaki-jinja stands on a wave-swept reef.
- Okukuji — A hiking area; its autumn colours can be seen from Ryujin Suspension Bridge.