Nature Spots in Ibaraki Area

  • Fukuroda Falls
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Kujigundaigomachi Fukuroda 3-19
    One of Japan’s Top Three Waterfalls, the Fukuroda Falls in Kuji County, Ibaraki Prefecture, are 73 meters wide with a 120-meter drop over the tributaries and rapids of Kuji River. Also called “Shido-no-taki” because the falls break over four levels of rocks or because Saigyo Hoshi suggested visiting in each of the four seasons. Its icy visage in winter and the leaves of fall make for particularly inspiring views. The old lookout deck and the new one built in 2008 offer you different views to enjoy.
  • Mt. Tsukuba
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Tsukubashi Tsukuba
    An 877 meter tall mountain located in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture which has two peaks—Nantai-san and Nyotai-san (“men's body” and “female body,” respectively). Due to the color the mountain takes on in the morning and at dusk, it is also known as “Violet Peak,” and has been popularly worshipped as a sacred mountain since ancient times. Over 1,000 varieties of plants grow on the mountain, and visitors can enjoy the sight of various plant lives here throughout the year. A cable car and ropeway provide convenient access to the top of the mountain, making it easy even for children and senior citizens to enjoy the beautiful view. On Saturday, Sunday, and holiday evenings from October to the end of February (excluding during bad weather, the New Year's holidays, and safety inspections), visitors can ride the ropeway as part of a special “Stardust Cruising” event and take in the beautiful nightscape of the surrounding area.
  • Ishikiri Mountains
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Kasama-shi Inada 4260-1
  • Oarai Coast
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Higashibarakigunoaraimachi Minatochuou
    Oarai Beach, part of the Oarai Prefectural Seaside Park, is located along Oarai Town, Higashiibaraki County, Ibaraki Prefecture. Famous for fishing spots, the Oarai lighthouse, and especially New Year’s sunrises seen through the Kamiiso Torii built on the rocky outcropping with the sound of great breaking waves. This 1.2 kilometer long beach attracts many visitors in the summer. The Oarai Beach was chosen as one of Japan’s Top 100 Shorelines and Top 100 White Sand Beaches with Pine Groves.
  • Lake Senba
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Mitoshi Sembachou 3080
    This gourd shaped lake, roughly three kilometers in circumference is a favorite place for local residents to rest and relax. Many Yoshino cherries and other cherry tree varieties grow around the lake, making it a renowned destination for cherry blossom viewing, and in spring visitors can enjoy flower viewing along with the pleasant songs of wild birds.
  • Hananuki Valley
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Takahagishi Ono In the ground
    This valley runs from Namerigafuchi in Nakadogawa, Takahagi City to the Kotakizawa Campground. It's a great spot for enjoying the seasonal scenery along the Hananuki River. The Hananuki Valley Foliage Festival is held when the leaves change color in autumn. Shiomitaki Suspension Bridge's scenery is especially beautiful, and in autumn it feels like strolling through a tunnel of autumn hues.
  • Tsukimachinotaki Waterfall
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Kujigundaigomachi Kawayama
    Tsukimachinotaki with its three waterfalls 17 meters high and 12 meters wide is a rare waterfall where a normal double waterfall with two streams of water transforms into a triple waterfall as a small waterfall appears when the water level rises. It has been a traditional place for nijusanyako (a religious gathering on 23rd night of the lunar month) to pray for easy delivery, child rearing and better fortune so takes its name and enshrines a tainai (womb) Kannon.
  • Hakucho no Sato
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Itako-shi Mizuhara 514
  • Mt. Yamizo
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Kujigundaigomachi Kaminomiya
    This famous mountain, 1,022-meter-high, straddles the prefectures of Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Fukushima and is also the highest peak in Ibaraki prefecture. Visited by numerous climbers each year, some of the mountain's many highlights include primeval Japanese beech and Erman's birch forests; the springs of the Yamizo River, selected for inclusion in a list of Top 100 Famous Water by the Ministry of the Environment; and the Nichirinji Temple, the 21st temple of the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. The scenery visible from the mountaintop observatory is spectacular, and the beauty of the area's fall foliage in autumn in particular is well worth seeing.
  • Ushiku Swamp
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Pref. Ryugasakishi Ushikunuma
    A swamp located on the southwest side of Ushiku City, on weekends it bustles with large numbers of people come to enjoy fishing.
  • Gozenyama
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Higashiibaraki-gun Shirosatomachi Gozenyama
    "A 156-meter-high mountain standing along the Naka River in the Katsura area in Shirosato Town, Ibaraki Prefecture. During the Edo period, the Mito Tokugawa clan banned logging in the area, and today the area is still naturally lush. In fall, the area is dyed a vivid red by the autumn foliage as if on fire, and the area encompassing the Nakagawa Bridge spanning the front of the mountain is known as the ""Arashiyama of Kanto,"" an allusion to another famous naturally beautiful area in Japan. There is a bell tower near the top of the mountain from which visitors can get a sweeping view of the Naka River and surrounding area. There are trails on the mountain and guide signs, making it easy even for beginners to hike to the top. Also note that Roadside Station Katsura is located at the foot of the mountain, providing drivers with convenient access to the area."
  • Gama Ishi (Toad Rock)
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Tsukuba-shi Tsukuba 1
    "This is a rock formation on Mt. Tsukuba in Tsukuba, Tsukuba City. It is located along the path from Tsukuba Sancho Station on the Mount Tsukuba Cable Railway Line to the main building of Nyotaisan Shrine and got its name from its resemblance to a toad or frog with an open mouth. Tsukuba's famous product, toad oil, is said to have first been promoted in front of this rock. It is believed that if you throw a stone and it lands in the ""toad's"" mouth, your wish will come true."
  • Benkei Nana Modori
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Tsukuba-shi Tsukuba 1
    This is a rock formation along the hiking path to Nyotaisan on Mt. Tsukuba in the city of Tsukuba. The path passes under a giant rock wedged between cliff walls, and it makes hikers uneasy, because it looks unstable, as if it might fall down from overhead. Even the legendary hero Musashibo Benkei is said to have hesitated to pass under it.
  • Mt. Nytotai Summit
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Tsukuba-shi Tsukuba 1
    Located in Tsukuba, Tsukuba City, Mt. Tsukuba consists of two peaks: Mt. Nantai and Mt. Nyotai. The 877-meter summit of Mt. Nyotai can be reached with about a five-minute hike from Mt. Tsukuba Ropeway's Nyotaisan Station. There you'll find a Tsukubasan-jinja Shrine sanctuary dedicated to the mountain. On clear days there's a view of Tokyo and Mt. Fuji. A trail connects it to the summit of Mt. Nantai.
  • Hojo Oike Pond
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Tsukuba-shi Hojo
    This pond is located inside Tsukuba City Oike Park. In the spring, the cherry trees planted around the pond bloom, making it a well-known spot for viewing cherry blossoms. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful scene created by the combination of Mt. Tsukuba looming in the background, the rows of blooming cherry trees, and the blossoms reflected on the surface of the pond.
  • Ishihama Coast
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Hitachi-shi Juocho Ishi
    This coast is located in Ishi, Juo-cho, Hitachi City. It is a hatching ground for loggerhead sea turtles and a stopover for migratory cormorants. The beauty of the white sand and green pines makes this a popular swimming beach. There is a full range of tourism facilities in the area, including the hot spring facility “Hitachi City Urairai no Yu Juo” and publicly funded “Kokuminshukusha lodge Unomisaki”.
  • Mt. Tatsuware
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Takahagi Nakadogawa Ibaraki Hitachi-shi Juocho Kurosaka
    "This685-meter-tall mountain is located in the northeastern part of Ibaraki Prefecture in Hanazono-Hananuki Prefectural Nature Park. According to legends, the ancient prince Kurosaka-no-Mikoto took criminals who would not obey the Yamato court controlled them by shutting them away in fortresses (""ki"") made of thorny plants (""ibara""), and this is where the name of the prefecture supposedly came from. Paths are laid out on the mountain so that visitors can enjoy ""forest bathing,"" and the mountain has been appreciated as one of the Ibaraki Prefecture's 100 most scenic spots."
  • Futatsujima Island
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Kitaibaraki-shi Isoharacho
    These islands are a pair of islands off the coast of Isohara-cho, Kitaibaraki City. The northern island is visible at all times, while the southern island is visible only at low tide. In addition to Isohara-Futatsujima Swimming Beach, where visitors can enjoy swimming with a view of the islands, there are two lodging facilities, the Futatsujima Kanko Hotel and the Isohara Seaside Hotel, located next to each other on the mainland. The islands are illuminated at night.
  • Hanazono Gorge
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Kitaibaraki-shi Sekimotocho Saimaru Hanakawacho
    Part of Hanazono-Hananuki Prefectural Nature Park, this gorge is located along Prefectural route 27 in Hanazono, Hanakawa-cho, Kitaibaraki City, in the upper reaches of the Hanazono River. The gorge is lined with groups of rhododendrons in the spring and colorful leaves in the fall, so it offers scenery that can be admired in all four seasons. Hiking trails have been laid out in the gorge, and Hanazono Jinja Shrine is at its base.
  • Kasumigaura
    Travel / Tourism
    Ibaraki Kasumigaura Tsuchiura-shi Namegata-shi

Ibaraki Areas

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Just a stone’s throw from Tokyo, Ibaraki is a coastal prefecture that has mastered juxtapositions, where old shrines meet new scientific discoveries and traditional gardens are frequented by the inventors of some of the newest technology. Head to Mito City's Kairakuen - one of Japan's Three Great Gardens - in spring to experience the cellestial blooming of fantastic cherry blossoms at the annual sakura festival.

Ibaraki Photo Album

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