slide

At Okukuji Kirara no Sato in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, there is a very long slide called the Wakuwaku Slider. You ride on a sled with a handle and control your own speed as you go. It’s 1,188 meters long and is known as the longest slide in Japan. Because it runs through the mountains, you can enjoy the scenery and feel excited as you ride.

Ibaraki Prefecture

"Ibaraki Prefecture" is read as "Ibaraki-ken." Many people think it’s "Ibaragi" for several reasons. First, there are names like "Miyagi Prefecture" that share the kanji for "castle" (城). It’s also said that "Ibaragi" can feel easier to say and more familiar to the ear. Let’s remember the correct pronunciation.

Fukuroda Falls

Fukuroda Falls is located in Okukuji, Ibaraki Prefecture, and is one of Japan’s three most celebrated waterfalls, along with Kegon Falls in Tochigi Prefecture and Nachi Falls in Wakayama Prefecture. Because the water cascades down in four tiers, it is also called the “Falls of Four Times.” The poet-monk Saigyō once praised it, saying that its true beauty can only be appreciated by viewing it in each of the four seasons. Tokugawa Mitsukuni also visited the falls and left behind an elegant waka poem about them.

Tokugawa Mitsukuni

Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the second lord of the Mito domain, is fondly known as Mito Kōmon, famous for the line, “Do you not see this crest?” In the TV dramas, he travels the provinces with Suke-san and Kaku-san, but in reality he did not; he mostly went back and forth between his domain and Edo. Curious and well-versed in history and medicine, Mitsukuni also had a strong interest in food, and he is even said to have been the first person in Japan to eat ramen and cheese.

Great Buddha

The Ushiku Daibutsu in Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture stands 120 meters tall and is the tallest Buddha statue in Japan. Among standing Buddha statues, it is the sixth tallest in the world, and it holds a Guinness World Record as the tallest standing bronze statue. You can go inside the statue, which has five floors, and take an elevator up to around the chest area. Its sheer size is astonishing.

A castle made of thorns

The name Ibaraki Prefecture is connected to an old legend. In the Nara period, a book called Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki tells this story: Long ago, there was a bandit who lived in a pit, and he built something like a fortress out of wild rose briars growing around it. People then used briars to block the pit and defeated the bandit. It is said that the name Ibaraki comes from this 'castle made of briars.'

Namegata City

Namegata City was formed in 2005 through the merger of three towns: Aso, Kitaura, and Tamatsukuri. The name “Namegata” is said to come from the ancient noble Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, who described the interwoven landscape of watersides and plateaus in this area as ‘namekuwashi.’ The reading ‘Namegata’ was chosen from suggestions submitted by citizens.

Akabokke

In the eastern part of Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, there is a place called Akabokke. Long ago, there was a legend that Taira no Masakado built a castle in this area. It’s said that when he looked out from the castle, the red cliffs beyond the marsh resembled China’s “Red Cliff,” so he named the place Akahōke. Even today, if you stray a little off the main road, you can still find plenty of untouched nature, such as forests.

shark

At Aqua World Oarai Aquarium, about 60 species of sharks are kept, making it one of the largest collections in Japan. There are also more than 15 shark species that can be seen only at this aquarium. In 2021, it became the first in Japan—and the fifth aquarium in the world—to successfully breed a baby sand tiger shark (shiro wani). It’s a wonderful place for shark enthusiasts. The large ocean sunfish (mola) tank is also famous.