Mito

Home to Kairakuen, one of Japan's Three Great Gardens, and close to the nemophila fields of Hitachi Seaside Park and Oarai's Kamiiso no Torii — a base for flower viewing and coastal scenery in northern Kanto.

Mito, the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, lies about 100 km northeast of Tokyo. In the Edo period it was the castle town of the Mito Tokugawa family, one of the three senior branches of the Tokugawa clan, and it is closely tied to Tokugawa Mitsukuni — the "Mito Kōmon" of popular legend — and Tokugawa Nariaki, who founded Kairakuen and the Kōdōkan. The city can be seen in a day: in the morning, visit Kairakuen, one of Japan's Three Great Gardens, along with neighboring Lake Senba and Tokiwa Shrine; in the afternoon, walk to the Kōdōkan, the reconstructed Ōtemon Gate and Ninomaru corner turret of Mito Castle, then head to the spiral tower of Art Tower Mito. With Mito as a base, there are plenty of day trips: to the east on the coast, Hitachinaka has Hitachi Seaside Park, famous for nemophila and kochia, Nakaminato Fish Market, and Sakatsura Isosaki Shrine with its tunnel of trees; to the south, Oarai has the Kamiiso no Torii standing in the sea and Aqua World Oarai aquarium; to the west, Kasama has Kasama Inari Shrine, one of Japan's three great Inari shrines, and Kasama ware pottery; to the north, the Suigun Line takes you to Fukuroda Falls, one of Japan's three great waterfalls, and by car you can add the Ryujin Suspension Bridge and Seizan-so, where Tokugawa Mitsukuni lived in retirement. The best seasons are the plum blossom festival from mid-February to March, nemophila season from mid-April to early May, the kochia turning red in October, and autumn leaves at Fukuroda Falls and Hanunuki Gorge in November; in winter, the anglerfish hotpot of Oarai and Nakaminato is worth a special trip. Getting there: from Tokyo (Ueno/Shinagawa), the JR Joban Line limited expresses Hitachi and Tokiwa reach Mito Station in about 65–80 minutes; for the seaside park, change to a bus at Katsuta Station; for Oarai, take the Oarai Kashima Line; for Fukuroda, take the Suigun Line. Buses are infrequent around the waterfall and suspension bridge in the north, so driving is recommended. Plan on 2–3 days; on weekends during flower season, accommodation and transport are in heavy demand, so book early. Local specialties include Mito natto, Yoshiwara Denchu sweets and anglerfish dishes.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries