Ibaraki Prefecture occupies the northeastern corner of the Kanto region, stretching from the Pacific coastline inland to volcanic highlands and forested river valleys. It is home to Kairakuen, one of Japan's three great landscape gardens and an annual pilgrimage for plum-blossom season, and to Hitachi Seaside Park, whose hillsides turn electric blue with nemophila each spring. The world-class research city of Tsukuba, the colossal Ushiku Daibutsu statue, and ancient Kashima Jingu shrine round out a destination that balances rural tradition with scientific modernity.
Ibaraki has been inhabited since the Jomon period (c. 10,000 BCE). The Hitachi Province (which encompasses modern Ibaraki) was recorded in the 8th-century Hitachi Fudoki geographical chronicle, one of Japan's oldest provincial records. The Mito Domain, established in 1609 under the Tokugawa clan, became one of Japan's most powerful feudal domains and was instrumental in the Meiji Restoration movement known as sonno joi ('revere the emperor, expel the barbarians'). Kairakuen Garden was created by the ninth Mito Domain lord Tokugawa Nariaki in 1842 as a place for both rulers and commoners to enjoy plum-blossom season.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Ibaraki.
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1
Shell mounds along Lake Kasumigaura indicate dense Jomon settlement
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2
Agriculture established; rice paddies appear in Kasumigaura basin
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3
Large burial mounds (kofun) built by regional clans; Hitachi Fudoki no Oka park preserves these sites
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4
Hitachi Province formally established; Hitachi Fudoki compiled under imperial decree
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5
Kashima Jingu serves as tutelary shrine for the eastern warrior culture; Kashima Shinto-ryu sword school founded
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6
Mito Domain established under Tokugawa branch family; Kodokan school founded 1841; Kairakuen Garden opened 1842
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7
Ibaraki Prefecture formally established 1871; Joban Line railway opens 1889
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8
Tsukuba Science City designated 1963; JAXA established; 2011 Tohoku earthquake caused tsunami damage to Ibaraki coast, since fully recovered
Historical eras
The chapters of Ibaraki's past.
Historical sites
Places where Ibaraki's past comes alive.
Kobuntei Pavilion, Kairakuen
Where: Mito
Admission: 300 JPY (~$2 USD) adults; 150 JPY (~$1 USD) ages 6–15
Kodokan (Mito Domain School)
Where: Mito
Admission: 190 JPY (~$1 USD) adults; 90 JPY (~$1 USD) ages 6–15
Kashima Jingu Shrine
Where: Kashima
Admission: Grounds free; treasure house 500 JPY (~$3 USD)
Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History
Where: Mito
Admission: 190 JPY (~$1 USD) adults; 100 JPY (~$1 USD) ages 16–18; under 15 free
Mito Castle Remains (Sannomaru)
Where: Mito
Admission: Free
Tokiwa Shrine (Mito Tokugawa Memorial)
Where: Mito
Admission: Free (attached Yoshiinkai museum: 300 JPY / ~$2 USD)
Hitachi Fudoki no Oka Archaeological Park
Where: Ibaraki-shi
Admission: 210 JPY (~$1.40 USD) adults; free under 15
Naka-jo (Naka Castle) Ruins
Where: Naka
Admission: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Ibaraki's story.
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.