For most international visitors, Ibaraki begins and ends with Hitachi Seaside Park’s blue nemophila fields. That is understandable — the photographs are spectacular — but it leaves most of the prefecture unexplored. Ibaraki is also home to a genuine piece of space history, the world’s tallest bronze Buddha (officially certified by Guinness), Japan’s second-largest lake, one of eastern Japan’s finest aquariums, and a centuries-old pottery town with hands-on workshops. These attractions are spread across the prefecture and vary widely in character, making Ibaraki well suited to a two- or three-day itinerary for visitors who enjoy variety and have access to a car.
Ushiku Daibutsu — Inside the World’s Tallest Buddha
The Ushiku Daibutsu is one of those structures that photographs cannot quite prepare you for. At 120 metres in total height — including the 10-metre lotus throne and 20-metre base building — it is the tallest bronze statue in the world, a record certified by Guinness. It depicts Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light of the Jodo Shinshu sect, standing with one hand raised in welcome and one extended palm outward. From the surrounding lotus garden at ground level, the scale becomes apparent only gradually as your eye travels up the robe, the hands, the face, and finally the crown of the head disappearing into whatever clouds the day offers.
Inside the Statue
The interior of the statue is accessible on four floors connected by lifts, and this is what makes Ushiku Daibutsu genuinely different from merely looking at a large monument.
The first floor (ground level inside the base) houses a hall of some 3,000 small golden Amida Buddha figurines, donated by worshippers from across Japan. The effect is intimate rather than overwhelming, a room of quiet devotion inside a structure of superlative scale.
The second floor is dedicated to displays about the life of Shinran, the 12th-century priest who founded Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.
The third floor presents the paradise of Amida Buddha, with dioramas and painted panels depicting the Pure Land described in Jodo Shinshu scripture.
The fourth floor — Paradise Level — is the observation deck, located 85 metres above the ground, inside the chest of the statue. Narrow windows look out over the surrounding countryside: rice paddies, pine groves, the distant line of the Tsukuba peaks to the northwest, and on clear days a faint suggestion of the Kanto plain extending toward Tokyo. Binoculars are useful here.
Outside the Statue
The statue stands within the Jodo Shinshu Higashi Honganji temple complex. The surrounding lotus garden is beautiful from mid-July to mid-August when the lotus flowers are in bloom. The grounds also include a small deer park and walking paths. The combination of the statue and the gardens requires about 2 hours.
Entry fee: ¥800 adult / ¥400 child (ages 3–12) Opening hours: 9:30–17:30 (last entry 17:00); hours may extend on weekends and holidays Access: Ushiku Daibutsu is approximately 2 kilometres from Ushiku Station on the JR Joban Line. From Ueno Station, Ushiku is about 40 minutes on a rapid service. A taxi from the station costs around ¥1,000–¥1,200 one way. There is a free shuttle bus operating from the station on certain days — confirm current schedules at the station or online before visiting. By car, there is ample free parking on site.
JAXA Tsukuba Space Center
The Tsukuba Space Center is the operational heart of Japan’s space programme, run by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). It is not a theme park or a science museum designed for general entertainment — it is a working facility, and the guided tours give direct access to areas that are genuinely part of active space operations.
What You Can See
The guided tour, which runs approximately 90 minutes, takes visitors through a series of facilities including:
The H-II rocket and launch vehicle display: Full-scale rockets and rocket stages are displayed in outdoor and indoor exhibition areas, including an H-IIA rocket — the workhorse of Japan’s satellite launch programme — and earlier generations of Japanese launch vehicles. The scale of these objects is harder to grasp in photographs than in person.
The Experiment Module “Kibo” replica: A full-scale mock-up of Kibo, Japan’s module on the International Space Station, allows visitors to understand the working conditions of astronauts and the layout of the module that JAXA operates aboard the ISS.
Mission Control: The real Tsukuba Mission Control — from which JAXA monitors and communicates with ISS operations and its satellites — is visible through glass from the tour route. On active mission days, the room is staffed and operational. Seeing a working mission control, not a recreation of one, is the detail that distinguishes this tour from space-themed attractions.
Astronaut training area: Equipment used in astronaut training and preparation is on display, including underwater training facilities and physical conditioning equipment.
Entry: Tours are available Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday and some holidays). Entry is ¥500 for adults; children are free. Tours in Japanese are more frequent; English-language tours operate on specific dates — check the JAXA website in advance. Self-guided visits to the outdoor exhibition area are possible without a tour.
Access: Tsukuba is reached from Akihabara Station by the Tsukuba Express (TX) line in approximately 45 minutes. From Tsukuba Station (TX), take a bus toward JAXA/AIST; the journey takes around 30 minutes. Taxis from the station cost roughly ¥1,200. By car from the outerbelt expressway, the center is well signposted.
Mt. Tsukuba Ropeway and Cable Car
Mount Tsukuba (877 metres) is Ibaraki’s most distinctive topographic feature — a double-peaked mountain that rises abruptly from the flat Kanto plain and is visible from Tokyo on clear days. It has been considered sacred since ancient times and appears in the Man’yoshu, Japan’s oldest poetry anthology.
Two ascent options exist: a ropeway from Tsukubasan Station on the east side of the mountain, and a cable car from Miyukigahara on the west. Both reach the summit area, and the standard approach is to take one up and walk the ridge path between the two peaks (about 20 minutes of easy walking) before descending on the other. A combined day pass for both is available.
From the summit on a clear day, the view extends across the Kanto plain to Tokyo’s skyscraper cluster to the southwest and to the Pacific coast to the east. The mountain is also known for its granite boulders, which erosion has sculpted into unusual shapes along the hiking paths; some have been named and become minor pilgrimage points.
Ropeway fare: Approximately ¥1,100 one way / ¥1,500 return (adult); cable car fares are similar. Check current prices on the official site. Access: The Tsukubasan Shrine trailhead and ropeway base are accessible by Kanto Tetsudo bus from Tsukuba Station, with the journey taking about 40 minutes.
Aqua World Oarai
Aqua World Oarai is the largest aquarium in eastern Japan and one of the country’s leading shark-focused marine facilities. With over 60 species of sharks in display — more than any other Japanese aquarium — it offers something genuinely unusual in the national aquarium landscape.
Main Attractions
The shark exhibits are the centrepiece, ranging from small reef species to larger open-water sharks displayed in a large main tank. The facility also maintains one of Japan’s few permanent manta ray exhibits, with captive mantas swimming in a deep circular tank that can be viewed from multiple floors.
The jellyfish gallery is a particular highlight: multiple species are displayed in illuminated cylindrical tanks that make for striking photography. Penguin feeding demonstrations, sea turtle exhibits, and a seal tank round out the collection for visitors with children.
The aquarium is busy on weekends and during school holidays but is manageable on weekday mornings. A full visit with time to watch the shark feeding demonstration and the manta ray tank takes 2–3 hours.
Entry fee: ¥2,100 adult / ¥1,050 child (ages 4–15); prices may vary Opening hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00); closed on certain Tuesdays Access: From Mito Station, take the Kashima Rinkai Railway Oarai Line to Oarai Station, approximately 25 minutes. The aquarium is about 15 minutes on foot from the station or a short taxi ride.
Lake Kasumigaura Cycling
Lake Kasumigaura is Japan’s second-largest lake (after Lake Biwa in Shiga), covering 220 square kilometres of low-lying landscape about 30 kilometres southeast of Mito. It lacks the dramatic mountain scenery of Lake Ashi or Lake Towada, but offers something different: a vast, flat expanse of water with a working lakeside culture of fishing boats, reed beds, and small harbour towns that has changed relatively little in the past century.
The lake is surrounded by a certified cycling route — recognised by the Japan Cycling Federation — running approximately 180 kilometres around its perimeter. The route is well-signed and largely flat, making it accessible to cyclists of moderate fitness. Most visitors ride a section rather than the complete circuit; the western shore, with views across the open water and access to the comprehensive lakeside park, is the most popular stretch.
Rental bicycles are available at several points around the lake, including near Tsuchiura Station on the JR Joban Line. A half-day ride of 30–40 kilometres covering the more scenic sections is a practical option for those without their own bikes.
The lake also supports a tour boat service that crosses the water seasonally, and windsurfing operations in the summer months. The Kasumigaura Comprehensive Park on the western shore has picnic areas, sports facilities, and a windmill that has become a minor landmark for its incongruity in the Japanese landscape.
Best season: October and November offer the most comfortable cycling temperatures and the most atmospheric lake light; spring (April–May) is also good. July and August are hot and humid.
Kasama Pottery Workshops
Kasama-yaki is one of Japan’s most vital contemporary ceramic traditions. The town of Kasama, inland from Mito, has over 100 registered kilns and workshops producing a wide range of work from utilitarian tableware to sculptural pieces. The Kasama style is characterised by unpretentious, earthy aesthetics and a relative openness to experimentation compared to more codified regional traditions.
Most workshops in Kasama offer hands-on pottery experiences for visitors, typically ¥1,500–¥3,000 for a 60–90 minute session. Basic throwing on the wheel or hand-building sessions are available without prior experience. Finished pieces are kiln-fired and shipped by post, usually within 4–6 weeks, including to international addresses at additional postage cost. Book in advance — walk-in availability is limited, particularly on weekends.
The town of Kasama also has a craft museum (Ibaraki Ceramic Art Museum) with a permanent collection of both Kasama-yaki and works by Japanese studio ceramicists. Combined with a visit to Kasama Inari Shrine — one of Japan’s three great Inari shrines — a half-day in Kasama makes a satisfying itinerary component. Access is by bus from Mito, approximately 40 minutes.
Practical Tips
Car rental: The attractions covered in this guide are spread across a large area with limited direct public transport connections between them. Car rental from Mito Station or Ushiku Station is the most practical approach for combining multiple sites. Major rental companies (Toyota Rent-a-Car, Nippon Rent-a-Car) have stations at Mito. An international driving permit is required for visitors holding a non-Japanese licence.
IC card for the Tsukuba Express: The TX line from Akihabara to Tsukuba accepts Suica, Pasmo, and other IC cards. Load sufficient credit before travel — the one-way adult fare is approximately ¥1,200 from Akihabara.
Combining sites: Ushiku Daibutsu and JAXA Tsukuba are both accessible from the Joban/TX corridor and can be combined in a single day using public transport, with some careful timetable management. Oarai and Kasama are best visited from Mito by car. Lake Kasumigaura cycling is most naturally based around Tsuchiura on the Joban Line.
Opening day verification: Both JAXA Tsukuba Space Center and the Ushiku Daibutsu have variable closure days. Confirming opening hours on the official websites before travelling, particularly in midweek, avoids disappointment.