Introduction
Wouldn’t someone scold me for saying that this is the hardest place for people living in the metropolitan area to visit? I have traveled a lot in Japan, but this was my first time setting foot in Ibaraki Prefecture. When I think of Ibaraki Prefecture, the only things that come to mind are the hills of the nemophila flowers in spring and kochia in autumn at Hitachi Seaside Park, the plum blossoms at Kairakuen Garden, and Kashima Shrine, the starting point where the god is said to have arrived at Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara Prefecture riding on a deer. Moreover, those are far from the Tokyo metropolitan area(Kanto), so they are more like the Kanto side than the countryside. Come to think of it, there wasn’t much traffic on the Joban Expressway, so someone drove a sports car at 200km/h and uploaded the video to the internet, and was arrested for violating the Road Traffic Act. Being an isolated island, I travel in search of the true countryside. Incidentally, it is the third largest agricultural producer in Japan.
Detail
1st day (History day)
Giant stone lanterns and decaying Edo period townscape
It’s a little over two hours by car from Tokyo. Makabe Town has free public parking, where you can get free guidebooks and walking maps. It takes about two hours to fully explore the old townscape. Makabe is also a granite producing area, and the giant stone lanterns are traditional crafts that are passed down directly to apprentices only.
Kamakura isn’t the only place to find hydrangeas in temples: Amabiki Kannon Temple
It’s a 15-minute drive from Makabe Town. There’s a large free parking lot at the main entrance to the temple, located halfway up the mountain. However, during hydrangea season, it gets extremely crowded, with traffic jams from the foot of the mountain to the parking lot. It’s also fun to spot the several peacocks that are allowed to roam freely within the temple. In Buddhism, they are said to have the power to ward off evil spirits and purify. They often spread their wings in front of visitors. The eye pattern on their wings inevitably reminds one of the Turkish eye amulet, the Nazar Boncug.
2nd day (Nature day)
Fukuroda Falls, which can be viewed for a fee
It’s best to avoid the autumn foliage season as it gets extremely crowded. The free public parking lot is quite far from the finish line, so if you want to shorten your walking distance, the closer you get, the higher the parking fee becomes. If a shopkeeper waves a fan at you and invites you over, be prepared to pay a parking fee. Normally, there is no charge to see natural sights, but here there is an observation point at the end of the tunnel, so we reluctantly paid. But it was worth the money.
Is there any point in this suspension bridge?
I wonder if it’s okay to give it a title like this. Aren’t suspension bridges supposed to be more thrilling? It feels like walking on a big bridge on a highway. Perhaps it’s because it’s near the tourist spot of Fukuroda Falls, and they’re targeting tourists who are just passing through. I’m actually one of them.
Please contact us through ‘Contact us‘ form if you have any questions.