Easily accessible from Tokyo by the Tsukuba Express, Ibaraki Prefecture (茨城県, Ibaraki-ken) is known historically for being the home of the Mito branch of the Tokugawa clan during the Edo Period, including the famous daimyo Tokugawa Mitsukuni, or “Mito Komon,” the subject of a popular long-running TV series in Japan.
Two of the most popular tourist destinations in Ibaraki include the majestic Fukuroda Falls (which can spectacularly freeze over in the winter), as well as Kairaku-en, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan.
Other places of note include the beaches on the coast, Hitachi Seaside Park and its pretty flower fields, and the Kashima Jingu shrine.
