Gourmet Course Main Image

Gastronomy in Ibaraki

GOURMET

1 night, 2 days

Enjoy Cuisine Using Local Ingredients on This 1 Night- 2 Day Model Course

It's a 90-minute ride from Tokyo Station to Mito Station aboard the Limited Express Hitachi. On this course we'll hire a limousine taxi and go on a tour of sake breweries in Ibaraki Prefecture, and enjoy some sake and tasty cuisine using locally-sourced ingredients.

DAY 1

8:53

Tokyo Station

It takes 83 minutes to get to Mito Station when you board Limited Express Hitachi No. 5

DAY 1

10:16

Arrive at Mito Station(It's possible to hire the services of Sawayaka Taxi Group)

Rent by the hour and enjoy a trip with complete freedom flexibility!

Sawayaka Taxi offers regular taxis, van-style taxis, and wheelchair-accessible taxis, all of which are available for hire on an hourly basis. Pay by the hour and enjoy a more flexible trip. Please enjoy a one-of-a-kind trip where you can go to the places you've always wanted to go, and explore and try some of the activities you've been interested in.

Website: Sawayaka Taxi Group Official Site

Address: 1-3-35 Kanemachi, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Regular holiday: ----

Opening hours: 10:00-22:00 *Please make reservations ahead of time.

30 minutes by limousine taxi from Mito Station

DAY 1

11:00

Kiuchi Sake Brewery / Konosu Sakagura-Lunch

Kiuchi Sake Brewery / Konosu Sakagura Image

Savor Ibaraki Prefecture's cuisine and sake at a brewery (Sakagura) restaurant.

Kiuchi Sake Brewery was established in 1823. At Konosu Sakagura—which has a history of 200 years—they brew Kikusakari Sparkling Sake. Visitors to the brewery can sample Japanese sake. At the restaurant you can enjoy Hitachi Aki Soba and other dishes using locally-sourced seasonal ingredients, thoughtfully paired with delicious Japanese sakes.

Website: Kiuchi Sake Brewery Official Site

Address: 1257 Konosu, Naka City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Regular holiday: ----

Opening hours: 10:00-18:30
Kiki Sake Dokoro is open from 10:00-18:00

50 minutes by limousine taxi

DAY 1

13:30

ISOKURA Sake Brewery

Established in the first year of the Meiji Period. ISOKURA Sake Brewery is located in Kasama City's Inada area in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Visitors to ISOKURA Sake Brewery can sample and buy Japanese sake at the gift shop. The shop sits inside a building that was originally a Taisho Era rice storehouse. The storehouse was converted into a nagaya (a row house that was partitioned into units), and is surrounded by a beautiful Japanese garden. In addition, there's also a brewery tour, a Japanese sake bar, banquet facility, cafe, craft gallery, event space, and so on. So please drink, eat, see, experience and shop in Ibaraki's local Kasama area. With an array of delicious products and enjoyable activities we look forward to your visit.

Website: ISOKURA Sake Brewery Official Site

Address: 1 Banchi, 2281 Inada, Kasama City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Regular holiday: Tuesdays, Wednesdays (open for business if either day falls on a national holiday)

Opening hours: 11:00-18:00

40 minutes by limousine taxi

DAY 1

16:00

HANAYASATOYAMA(A Glamping Facility on the Grounds of Ibaraki Flower Park)

Even beginners can enjoy camping while enveloped in the fragrance of roses.

On the expansive park premises covering about 120,000 square meters (1.29 million square feet), 900 varieties of 9,000 roses are in full bloom. At HANAYASATOYAMA, an accommodation spot in the park, visitors can experience glamping－a luxurious style of camping that's become popular in recent years. It will be an unforgettable experience to enjoy Ibaraki's fresh ingredients BBQ-style and sleep in a teepee tent under a star-filled sky.

Website: HANAYASATOYAMA Official Site

Address: 200 Shimoaoyagi, Ishioka City, Ibaraki

Regular holiday: Tuesdays (Please note that reservations are not taken on Mondays).

Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (From December to February, 9:00-16:00)

DAY 2

9:00

Ibaraki Flower Park

For overnight guests only! Stroll about the park before it officially opens for the day.

Visitors to Ibaraki Flower Park can admire a wide variety of flowers throughout the year. There are also more than 100 different kinds of workshops and activities available. If you go for a walk early in the day, the flowers glistening with morning dew will allow you to experience a kind of beauty that's quite different from that in the daytime.

Website: Ibaraki Flower Park Official Site

Address: 200 Shimoaoyagi, Ishioka City, Ibaraki

Regular holiday: Tuesdays (Please note that reservations are not taken on Mondays.)

Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (From December to February, 9:00-16:00)

10 minutes by limousine taxi

DAY 2

10:10

Kiuchi Sake Brewery / Yasato Distillery

Enjoy the perfect combination of Hinomaru Whisky and Hitachino Ham BARREL SMOKE at Yasato Distillery.

Yasato Distillery opened in 2020. Here you can sample some Hinomaru Whisky as you take in the scenic beauty of Mt. Tsukuba. The shop also offers Ibaraki Prefecture dry-cured ham and bacon smoked with wooden barrel chips (Hitachino Ham BARREL SMOKE), so you can savor the delicious taste of high-quality smoked ingredients.

Website: Kiuchi Sake Brewery / Yasato Distillery Official Site

Address: 1300 Sugama, Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Regular holiday: Tuesdays, Wednesdays (open for business if either day falls on a national holiday)

Opening hours: 10:00-17:00

40 minutes by limousine taxi

DAY 2

13:00

Ring Ring Square Tsuchiura

While cycling along the shoreline of Lake Kasumigaura, enjoy the ever-changing scenery as you look out at majestic Mt. Tsukuba.

Ring-ring square tsuchiura is a cycling hub facility that's directly connected to the train station. Bike rentals are available here, so you can enjoy some cycling without having to bring anything. *For those doing sake tasting at Kiuchi Sake Brewery, please keep in mind that drinking and driving is illegal in Japan. If you have plans to ride a Kasumigaura pleasure boat departing from Lacus Marina or want to enjoy the view of Mt. Tsukuba from the Mt. Tsukuba Ropeway, be sure to go there by taxi. You can also enjoy Ibaraki's local fare at the restaurant or food stall inside Tsuchiura Station.