Ibaraki Prefecture

Do
Stroll Japan's three classic gardens by season
Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Kairakuen in Mito and Korakuen in Okayama are known as Japan's three great gardens. Each was built by a daimyo, a feudal lord, as a stroll garden of ponds, lawns, teahouses and trees, so the view changes at every turn of the path and with every season. They are in three different regions, so pick one: Kairakuen is about 70 minutes from Tokyo, and Korakuen under an hour from Osaka by bullet train.
Do
Cruise a winter river at a heated table
In winter, some river boats in Japan carry a kotatsu, a low table with a heater underneath and a quilt draped over it. You sit with your legs under the quilt and watch snowy gorges or quiet canals drift by. Most run only from December to February or March.
Do
Walk across hillsides covered in flowers
Some hills in Japan turn a single color from edge to edge: blue with nemophila, pink with moss phlox, yellow with rapeseed blossoms, or red with kochia bushes in autumn. Each hill peaks in a different season, so pick one that matches your travel dates and check the bloom news on its website. The hills are large, so allow one to two hours to walk around slowly.
Do
Make your own snack in a food factory
Some Japanese food companies open their factories and workshops so you can make familiar foods by hand: design your own cup of instant noodles, shape a biscuit or stuff your own sausages. Whatever you make goes home with you, so it doubles as a souvenir. Most sessions need a booking or a timed ticket, so reserve before the day.
Do
Feel the spray of three famous waterfalls
Kegon, Nachi and Fukuroda are often called Japan's three great waterfalls, and each drops around 100 meters. At all three you can stand on a viewing deck near the base, close enough to hear the roar and feel the mist on your face. Kegon and Fukuroda are day trips from Tokyo, while Nachi, far south of Osaka, fits better into an overnight trip.
Do
Drink fresh beer next to the tanks it came from
All over Japan, small craft breweries pour their beer in taprooms set right beside the brewing tanks, so what you drink was made a few steps away. Order a few small glasses to compare styles, often with food made to go with them. The places in and around Tokyo make an easy evening out, while those farther away fit into a longer trip through the region.
Do
Step inside a giant Buddha
Many of Japan's giant Buddhas and statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, are hollow, and at these you can walk inside. Enter through a door in the back or at the feet, then climb past Buddhist images and exhibits; in the tallest ones, windows near the top look out over the landscape. All of them are day trips from Tokyo.
Do
Glide along old canals in a hand-poled boat
In some old towns, a boatman called a sendo pushes a small wooden boat along the canals with a long pole or a single oar, telling stories about the town as you go. You sit low on the water, passing white-walled storehouses and willows, and bend down as the boat slips under low bridges. Most rides take 20 minutes to an hour; the stories are in Japanese, but the scenery is enough on its own.
Do
See a torii standing out in the sea
Torii are the gates that mark the way into a shrine, and a few stand out in the sea, facing shrines on the shore. At high tide the water rises around their pillars; at low tide you can sometimes walk right up to them. Check the tide tables before you go.
Do
Sip a drink among palms in a greenhouse cafe
A few botanical parks in Japan have a cafe inside their big greenhouse, where you sit among palms and huge tropical leaves with a drink in hand. Walk through the greenhouse first, then rest and watch the plants from your seat. It stays warm and dry inside whatever the weather, which makes it a good stop on a cold or rainy day.

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