A 2-Day, 1-Night Car Trip: Visit Famous Cherry Blossom Spots and Experience the Traditional Silk Fabric “Yuki-tsumugi”

In Ibaraki Prefecture, the cherry blossom viewing season lasts from the end of March to early April. This travel itinerary by car begins in Mito, where visitors can explore famous cherry blossom viewing spots. Then admire seasonal flowers at Hitachi Seaside Park, and stroll through the nostalgic streets of Yuki City while wearing traditional clothing made from "Yuki-tsumugi" silk, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Lastly, in Koga City, you will visit a historic sake brewery. Enjoy a meal in a sophisticated traditional Japanese-style residence, followed by an overnight stay at a hilltop glamping facility with a scenic view.

1 night, 2 days

Day 1

Rent a car near the station

Mito Station

(Car) 30 minutes

Hitachi Seaside Park

Hitachi Seaside Park is perhaps Ibaraki's most famous tourist destination for its Instagram-friendly fields of flowers. This vast park is best known for the stunning blue nemophila flowers in spring …

(Car) 20 minutes

Mito Daishi Rokujizoji Temple

Founded in 807, Mito Daishi Rokujizoji Temple has long been known as a sacred place for safe childbirth and child-rearing. It is especially popular during the Japanese tradition of omiyamairi, a cere…

(Car) 30 minutes

Lunch

Shunpu Banriso

Shunpu Banriso is a 300-square-meter thatched-roof private house that was the residence of Kitaoji Rosanjin, a famous Japanese artist active from the late 19th to mid-20th century in many fields incl…

(Car) 20 minutes

Strolling

Atago Forest House (in Atago Tengu no Mori Park)

Atago Forest House, located near the summit of Mt. Atago at an altitude of 306 meters, was renovated and reopened in April 2024 within Atago Tengu no Mori Park as a base for hiking trails to Mt. Nand…

(On foot) Right nearby

Overnight stay

ETOWA KASAMA

This stylish and relaxing outdoor resort is located on a mountain summit in the forest. Guests will be treated to a panoramic view of the star-filled sky as night falls. In the evening, resort-goer…

ETOWA KASAMA

(Car) 1 hour

Rent Yuki-tsumugi clothing

Coworking & Café Yuinowa

Coworking & Café Yuinowa is a coworking space and café renovated from a 90-year-old former kimono store, and it also offers activities such as walking around town in a Yuki-tsumugi Haori (traditional…

Yuki City Walking Map

(On foot) Strolling

Tsumugi Silk Museum

The museum was opened in 2006 by Okujun Inc., a Tsumugi wholesaler with a history spanning over 100 years. With the aim to educate people about Yuki-tsumugi (a Japanese silk-weaving technique) and it…

(On foot) 8 minutes

Lunch

Kissa Kajinoki

Kissa Kajinoki is a small coffee shop with a retro atmosphere, housed in a 140-year-old former grain merchant's storehouse. Antique furniture and tableware, including a brazier and milk glass lightin…

(On foot) Right nearby

Return the Yuki-tsumugi kimono

Coworking & Café Yuinowa

(Car) 45 minutes

Excursion, tasting and shopping

Aoki Sake Brewery

Founded in 1831, Aoki Sake Brewery is currently the only sake brewer in Koga City that performs all of the operations from brewing the sake to selling and also continues to preserve the local flavor.…

(Car) 3 minutes

Return the rental car

Koga Station

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Traveling around sightseeing spots by train and bike

2 days (an overnight stay in Mito) Enjoy Nature in central Ibaraki and Rokko area

Nature

1 night, 2 days

A Family Road Trip to Ibaraki: a 2-Day Itinerary to Enjoy History, Nature, and Local Cuisine

How about spending two fulfilling days in Ibaraki Prefecture that the entire family can enjoy? Purify the heart at the historic Kashima Jingu Grand Shrine, and enjoy the flowers and nature at the expansive Hitachi Seaside Park and Kairakuen, one of Japan's Three Greatest Gardens. Learn about various plants at a botanical garden, and discover the underwater world at an aquarium that is especially popular among children. As for the gourmet cuisine on the trip, savor sweet fruits and desserts at a popular farm, fresh seafood at the port fish market, wagyu beef dishes at a cozy hidden restaurant, and more! A hotel with hot springs makes the perfect place to stay. Wrap up the trip with a shopping to fully enjoy the charm of Ibaraki!

1 night, 2 days

Discover the Ushiku Daibutsu, the World’s Tallest Bronze Buddha Statue, and Enjoy Delicious Food and Shopping in a Day Trip

The Ushiku Daibutsu in Ibaraki Prefecture is the tallest bronze statue of the Buddha worldwide. Standing 120 meters tall, this statue has a temple inside offering visitors a place of worship. Temple-goers can enjoy not only attractions of the statue, but also seasonal flowers in the surrounding garden and a small petting zoo opened on Sundays and holidays. A winery designated as a Japan Heritage, where visitors can dine, is located nearby. There is also an outlet mall in the area. The following is a recommended route for a day trip from Tokyo to enjoy the Daibutsu and its surroundings.

History / Traditional Crafts

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