Just a stone's throw from Tokyo, Ibaraki offers a combination of unspoiled nature, refined gastronomy, and exquisite craftsmanship. A winning trio that truly deserves a visit.
Just a stone's throw from Tokyo, Ibaraki offers a combination of unspoiled nature, refined gastronomy, and exquisite craftsmanship. A winning trio that truly deserves a visit.
At a 45-minute train ride from the capital, the atmosphere changes abruptly: rice fields as far as the eye can see, distant blue mountains, the smell of damp earth. Ibaraki, long overshadowed by major tourist spots, cultivates its discretion (and that's a good thing!). Here, there are no dense crowds or garish neon lights, but a rare authenticity that increasingly draws travelers seeking slow and local experiences.
• By train: The JR Joban Line connects Tokyo Station to Mito or Tsukuba in approximately 60 minutes.
• By car: From Narita Airport, it takes about 1 hour via the Ken-O Expressway.
• By air: Ibaraki Airport serves several cities in East Asia (convenient for a multi-city trip).
Once there, an unlimited regional bus pass makes it easy to hop between gardens, waterfalls, and artisan workshops.
During the Edo period, the Mito Tokugawa clan transformed these fertile plains into a true "breadbasket of Japan." Plums, sweet potatoes, and buckwheat, three staple crops, remain at the heart of the local economy. Today, Ibaraki ranks in the national TOP 3 for the production of sweet potatoes (approximately 10% of Japanese volume) and ume plums. The result: an ecosystem of family farms capable of supplying premium ingredients to top chefs in Tokyo... and the rest of the world.
The absolute star of bento boxes, Mito's umeboshi captivates with its delicate balance between saltiness and shiso aroma. The Nemoto Tsukemono company has been using the same recipe for 90 years: sea salt, sun, and patience. Just one berry is enough to enhance a bowl of hot rice, a dressing, or even a salmon tartare (try it, you'll see). For those with a sweet tooth, the ume syrup can be mixed with sparkling water to create an ultra-refreshing floral soda.
If you're a fan of sweet potatoes, get ready for a taste sensation. Slow-dried, hoshi-imo concentrates its natural sugars to the point of resembling melting caramel. The innovative and crunchy PRESSTAR version is cooked without any added oil or sugar: perfect for a healthy snack (and to slip into the kids' lunchbox).
Grown at the foot of Mount Tsukuba, this buckwheat benefits from a temperate microclimate and pure spring water. The Kakinuma house grinds the grains on granite millstones at 16 revolutions per minute, a technical detail perhaps, but crucial for preserving the aromas. The result: supple, slightly sweet yabu soba noodles, superb as zaru (cold with soy dashi sauce) or dipped in a steaming broth in winter.
It's impossible to talk about Ibaraki without mentioning its craftsmen:
- Ceramic brooches from HOKUHOKU studio, each cat with a different expression and quartz grains that sparkle.
- Washi paper wallets (Kami no Sato): three layers of kozo (paper mulberry) fibers for an accessory that's both lightweight and surprisingly sturdy.
- Reimagined Yokan, bars of azuki bean paste, sweet potato or chestnut, 100% plant-based and gluten-free. The stylish snack that goes perfectly with a matcha latte.
The same standard applies: ancient techniques, reinvented for modern everyday life.
• Kairakuen: 3,000 plum trees, a fragrant festival in February-March.
• Fukuroda Falls: ranked among the three most beautiful waterfalls in Japan, frozen in winter, thundering in summer.
• Hitachi Seaside Park: sea of blue nemophiles in spring, hills of bright red kochias in October. Instagram likes it, but seeing it in person is incomparable.
• Mount Tsukuba: 877m, accessible by cable car or via a hiking trail (allow 2 hours). 360-degree view over the Kant? Plain.
At the Kashima-jingu shrine, one of the oldest in the country (dating back to the 1st century!), martial arts are blessed. Further afield, small rural altars protect the crops. Everywhere, the same alchemy: spirituality, agriculture, and daily life weave an almost tangible link between past and present.
• Ideal duration: 3 days for an overview, 5-7 days to meander and participate in a workshop.
• Best seasons: February-March (plum blossoms), May (nemophila), October (scarlet kochias).
• Budget: Accommodations from ¥6,000 per night in minshuku; a full soba meal around ¥1,200.
• Eco-concern: The prefecture promotes farm-tourism; several farms offer to stay on site and participate in the sweet potato harvest.
Author Audrey on 21 November 2022
Travel and Tourism : Stay
Author Loïc on 22 July 2025
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