Visit

Hiraiso Beach

This beach is popular among families because protective walls enclose the ocean. A whale-shaped slide affectionately known as "Dai-chan" is located in the bay and loved by children and adults alike!

Lake Senba

Located in the heart of Mito City, Lake Senba is a great place to relax for locals and visitors alike.
The lake is encircled by a 3-kilometer-long walking and jogging route near Kairakuen Garden and the Ibaraki Museum of Modern Art. It is the ideal route for a relaxing day of sightseeing. Bicycles and swan-shaped pedal boats are also available to rent. Moreover, there are several cafes on the lakeshore for a coffee or ice cream after your stroll.
Plenty of wildlife can be found around Lake Senba. Koi carp and terrapins inhabit the lake, while swans and other birds are seen swimming along the banks. Around 30 whooper swans make their nests at the lake between mid-October and March each year. Be sure to observe these swans from afar.

Oarai Isosaki Shrine

This shrine was founded in 856 when two deities are said to have descended upon the coast of Oarai. The two enshrined at Oarai Isosaki Shrine are Daikoku-sama, the god of nation-building and national prosperity, and Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, the god of medicine.
Oarai Isosaki Shrine is associated with the nearby Kamiiso-no-Torii, a sacred gate where the gods are said to have descended earth. This shrine gate stands dramatically on rocks in the Pacific Ocean and attracts photographers worldwide. On New Year's Day, the sun rises directly between the pillars of the shrine gate.
This shrine is also famous among fans of the anime series "Girls und Panzer," which is set in the town of Oarai and uses real-life locations. Many prayer plaques at the shrine feature illustrations of the characters from the anime drawn by visiting fans.