Local Guide
Ibaraki sightseeing spots for rainy days with overnight stay in Tsuchiura

Ibaraki Prefecture is dotted with "indoor tourist spots" where you can relax and have fun even on rainy or midsummer days. Based in Tsuchiura City, which is an easy 60-minute drive from central Tokyo or a 45-minute train ride, we have compiled a list of five indoor properties that are easy to visit by car, including an all-weather aquarium where you can watch dolphins perform and a museum specializing in baked potatoes with a factory tour and tasting experience. We hope you will find this information useful in planning your visit on days when the weather is forecast to be downhill.

Experience a Museum Full of the Appeal of Sweet Potatoes

Market area illuminated by sweet potato-shaped lights from the vaulted ceiling
Market area illuminated by sweet potato-shaped lights from the vaulted ceiling

This theme park is a hands-on agricultural experience located in Namegata City, one of the leading sweet potato growing areas in Japan. In the vast outdoor area, visitors can enjoy glamping and other activities with a vegetable harvesting Experience. On rainy days, head to the fully equipped indoor area. In the "Shop & Museum," which is housed in the former "Yamato 3rd Elementary School," there is a café where you can take a break with sweet potato treats, a farmer's market with local specialties and morning vegetables, and the "Yakimo Factory Museum" where you can take a factory tour, making for a great indoor experience! The second floor is a baked sweet potato factory.

Discover the secrets of the sweet potato at the "Sweet Potato School".

Yakimomo Gakkai (sweet potato class meeting)
Yakimomo Gakkai (sweet potato class meeting)" where great people talk about the history of sweet potatoes

On the second floor is the "Yaki-imo Factory Museum" guided by "Yaki-emon," a fairy of yaki-imo (voice: actress from the city of missing). Visitors receive a student handbook at the entrance and proceed through four exhibition rooms while answering a yaki-imo quiz for homework. In the "Oimo Factory," which follows, visitors will see the 19-meter-long "tunnel oven" dedicated to baked sweet potatoes and experience the -30°C freezer, which freezes sweet potato products all at once. After the factory tour, a tasting time of crunchy college potatoes and baked potatoes awaits you.

Local Guide Comment
At the museum, visitors can enjoy learning trivia such as how sweet potatoes become sweet and why a baked sweet potato fart does not smell bad. You can enjoy learning trivia such as "Why does a baked sweet potato fart not smell? By the end of the tour, you will be a sweet potato master.
La Poppo Namegata Farmers Village
  • Address 1561 Uzaki, Nagata City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 55 min. by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business hours 10:00-18:00 (last admission at Yakimo Factory Museum is 15:30)
  • Closed Monday-Friday (open on national holidays)
  • Admission Fee Free admission (Admission to the Yakimo Factory Museum is 900 yen for adults, 700 yen for children under junior high school age, and free for children under 3 years old)
  • TEL 0299-87-1130
  • Parking Free of charge

Large coastal aquarium with 20,000 fish swimming in a large tank

A 10-meter-deep tank that recreates the rich ecosystem of the tidal zone where the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents meet off the coast of Ibaraki
A 10-meter-deep tank that recreates the rich ecosystem of the tidal zone where the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents meet off the coast of Ibaraki

Opened in 2002, this is the largest aquarium in Ibaraki Prefecture. It exhibits 68,000 living creatures of about 580 species. IWASHILIFE" is currently being performed in the 1,300-ton "Encountering the Sea" tank. The large jellyfish tank "Jellyfish 365," which was renovated in 2020, is a moody space with changing colors and images based on the theme of the four seasons. The sight of approximately 10,000 floating water jellyfish is fantastic.

Ocean Theater, where you can experience the dynamic of dolphins

Ocean Live dolphins and sea lions with fun original performances
Ocean Live dolphins and sea lions with fun original performances

The Ocean Theater, where dolphin and sea lion shows are performed, is an all-weather, open-air theater space with a view of the blue Pacific Ocean beyond the windows. The seats from the front row to about the fifth row are challenging seats, where visitors are prepared to get soaked. Standing room is also available in the rear, where you can enjoy the laughter and excitement of the performance. If you want to take a break in the theater, we recommend the cafe "Mermaid" inside the theater. Original menus using shark meat, such as "Shark Curry" and "Shark Nuggets," are very popular.

Local Guide Comment
The number of sharks, the aquarium's symbol, is the largest in Japan at approximately 60 species. In the Shark Daddy's Room, visitors can experience a VR aquarium that uses digital technology to reproduce great white sharks, which are difficult to keep in captivity.
Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium
  • Address 8252-3 Isohama-cho, Oarai-cho, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction Approx. 57 min. from JR Tsuchiura Station by car / Approx. 15 min. from Mito Oarai Interchange on Higashi-Mito Road
  • Direction Approx. 15 min. from Kashima Rinkai Railway Oarai Stn. by Oarai-cho circular bus "Kaiyugou", Aqua World Oarai route.
  • Business Hours 9:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00) *Changes according to season.
  • Closed Closed in June and December
  • Admission Fee Adults 2,000 yen, elementary/junior high school students 900 yen, children over 3 years old 300 yen
  • TEL 029-267-5151
  • Parking Available
  • Memo Baby strollers are available for free rental at the entrance.
    Nursing rooms are available at two locations in the park.

A scientific spot where you can experience the cutting edge of space technology

A variety of 1/20 scale rocket models in the Space Dome
A variety of 1/20 scale rocket models in the Space Dome

This is a research Property of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which is responsible for space development and research in Japan. At the entrance to the Space Dome, a permanent exhibition hall on the grounds, visitors are greeted by a lapis lazuli-colored one-millionth scale model of the Earth, the "Dream Port. There are many realistic exhibits that bring space close to home, including a full-scale model of the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" on the International Space Station, where astronauts conduct experiments, and the asteroid probe "HAYABUSA 2. The display of a lineup of domestic rockets from past generations is a powerful sight and a spot that should not be missed.

Guided tours that put you in the mind of an astronaut

Closed Environment Adaptation Training Facility
Closed Environment Adaptation Training Facility" in the Astronaut Training Building, Property used for astronaut recruitment tests and space medicine research

In the general tour area, in addition to the permanent exhibits, there is an exhibition space with special exhibits with different themes each period, where you can learn about unknown aspects of space development. If you want to learn more about space, we recommend taking a tour (paid tour, reservation required). You can take a guided tour of the normally inaccessible Property, such as the training area used for astronaut selection and training. At the museum store "Planet Cube," you can enjoy selecting unique souvenirs such as JAXA goods.

Local Guide Comment
The 50-meter-long "H-II rocket" that catches the eye at the rocket plaza just inside the main gate is the "H-II rocket. The real rocket, which has finished its role as a ground test rocket, is on display.
JAXA Tsukuba Space Center (JAXA Tsukuba Space Center)
  • Address 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction Approximately 18 minutes by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  • Business Hours Space Dome is open 10:00-16:00, Museum Shop in Planet Cube is open 10:00-16:30
    Advance reservations via the website are required to visit the museum.
  • Closed Closed on regular holidays, year-end and New Year holidays (Dec. 29-Jan. 3), Property inspection days, etc.
  • Admission Fee Free admission (¥500 for tours; free for visitors under 18 years old)
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Memo Tours are suspended as of October 2021. Some exhibits may be restricted to visitors.

    Diaper changing stations are available in the multipurpose restroom of the Space Dome.
    As of November 2021, tours are not available. Some exhibits may be restricted to limited access.

An authentic wine brewery that has been in operation since the Meiji Era

The Kamiya Denbei Memorial Museum, where visitors can listen to audio commentary while touring the museum.
The Kamiya Denbei Memorial Museum, where visitors can listen to audio commentary while touring the museum.

The former Kamiya Sake Brewery, Japan's first full-scale winery founded by entrepreneur Denbei Kamiya, was designed in 1903 by Tokitaro Okada, a student of architect Kingo Tatsuno. 3 Western-style buildings are designated as National Important Cultural Properties, and the former fermentation room has been renovated into the Kamiya Denbei Memorial Museum. On the second floor, wine-making equipment of the time and valuable photographic materials documenting Denbei's flamboyant friendships are on display, and can be viewed free of charge.

Casual French Restaurant, a National Important Cultural Property

Inside the Restaurant with its high ceiling and beautiful red brick walls
Inside the Restaurant with its high ceiling and beautiful red brick walls

The "storage room," where secondary fermentation and maturation of wine used to take place, is now open as a Restaurant. The wine and French cuisine served in the Meiji-era winery are exceptional. The on-site store sells Chateau du Vin Muscat Bailey A, a collaboration wine made from grapes grown here and brewed by Lumiere, a winery in Yamanashi Prefecture, and other wines. For souvenirs for those who are not fond of alcohol or for children, we recommend the original "wine cake," which boasts a fluffy texture.

Local Guide Comment
The "Maitre de Chez (Brewer's Room)" in the Kamiya Denbei Memorial Museum has a laboratory-like atmosphere with a huge glass funnel and flasks. The floor tiles give the room a nostalgic atmosphere.
Ushiku Chateau
  • Address 3-20-1 Chuo, Ushiku, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction 25 minutes drive from JR Tsuchiura Station or 8 minutes walk from East Exit (Chateau Exit) of JR Ushiku Station
  • Business hours Property: 10:00-16:00, Restaurant: 11:30-15:00 (L.O.14:00), 17:30-21:30 (L.O.20:00), Shop: 10:00-18:00
  • Closed Year-end and New Year holidays (Restaurants and stores open on Mondays)
  • Admission Fee Admission free
  • TEL 029-873-3151, Restaurant: 029-896-3612, Shop: 029-896-3615
  • Parking Pay parking (use Times Ushiku Chuo across from Property; 60 min/100 yen, max. 300 yen/day on weekdays only)

A theme park where you can play and learn all about mentaiko

A gallery where visitors can enjoy learning how mentaiko is made by playing a touch-panel game.
A gallery where visitors can enjoy learning how mentaiko is made by playing a touch-panel game.

This is a direct sales store and tour gallery with a factory attached, opened by "Kanefuku," a long-established mentaiko (seasoned cod roe) manufacturer and seller, to deliver freshly made mentaiko to the Kanto area. The 100-meter-long "Mentaiko Gallery" provides visitors with an easy-to-understand explanation of the ecology of pollack, the parent of mentaiko, and the fishing process through panel displays and videos. The "Mystery Underwater Walk," an attraction where visitors can learn about mentaiko through games and quizzes, is also popular among children. In the factory tour area, visitors can observe through glass windows the handmade mentaiko (cod roe) being made by approximately 100 workers under strict hygienic conditions.

Enjoy freshly made mentaiko gourmet food at a great price!

Freshly made mentaiko (cod roe) directly from the factory is available for tasting.
Freshly made mentaiko (cod roe) directly from the factory is available for tasting.

In a corner of the direct sales area, visitors can sample fresh mentaiko that has just been pickled that day. A wide range of products, such as mentaiko shumai (mentaiko fish cake) and squid mentaiko, are available for visitors to choose from as souvenirs, and freshly made mentaiko is available at reasonable prices, which only factory-direct sales can offer. At the food corner, "mentaiko soft serve ice cream" with a sweet and tangy taste is a popular menu item. The "Mentai Donburi" (bowl of rice topped with mentaiko), which is piled high with fresh mentaiko, is a huge bowl of mentaiko! Mentai Donburi," a bowl of rice topped with a heaping bowl of fresh mentaiko cod roe, offers an overwhelming volume and crunchy texture.

Local Guide Comment
The "Mentaiko Catcher" located at the entrance by the food court offers Kanefuku's original mentaiko snacks, which are not for sale, as prizes. Please try your hand at it.
Kanefuku Men Tai Park Oarai (Kanefuku Men Tai Park Oarai)
  • Address 8255-3 Isohama-cho, Oarai-cho, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki MAP
  • Direction Approx. 55 min. from JR Tsuchiura Station by car / Approx. 10 min. from Mito/Oarai Interchange on Kita-Kanto Expressway
  • Business hours 9:00 - 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 18:00
    Factory operating hours are 9:00-16:30 (except 11:30-12:30 on Sundays and holidays)
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 029-219-4101
  • Parking Free of charge
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.