Ibaraki茨城県

Spacious land containing the second largest lake in Japan. The breathtaking Fukuroda-no-taki Falls can also be found in the area.

Ibaraki is located in the center of the Honshu (the main land of Japan) and about 40 km away from Tokyo. Facing the Pacific Ocean on the east, Ibaraki is divided into three parts - the mountainous area in the north, the center-to-south stretch of the Kanto plains and the area containing the Tone-gawa River and its tributary streams.

North of the prefecture is a region of travel lure having, for example, the Fukuroda-no-taki Falls, which is one of the three renowned waterfalls in Japan. The seasonally changing Mt.Tsukuba-san stands in the heart of the prefecture dominating the Kanto plains. At its foot spreads Tsukuba Kenkyu Gakuen Toshi, a town made up chiefly of the Tsukuba University and various government-owned and private research institutions.

In the Kasumigaura, the second largest lake in Japan, you can have a good time cruising in a pleasure boat and fishing bass. Itako is a riverside district of the Tone-gawa River, where you can enjoy a waterway excursion on a flat-bottom boat propelled by a jolly woman sculler. Especially, early summer makes the waterway flowery with sweet flags in full bloom on both sides, attracting many tourists.


The Kairaku-en Garden in Mito, built in the 19th century by Tokugawa Nariaki, the then lord of the Mito clan, is one of three renowned gardens in Japan along with Kenroku-en Garden in Ishikawa and Koraku-en Garden in Okayama. It is thronged with plum trees and hagi (Japanese bush clover) flower viewers when the flowers are in boom. In Kasama, which is a town of pottery, you can try out a potter's work on your own.