Local Guide
 9 special Ibaraki souvenirs you can buy in Tsuchiura and Tsukuba area.

One of the joys of traveling is choosing souvenirs, and you want to find the best local products. We have carefully selected delicious Japanese and Western sweets from Ibaraki Prefecture, including fruit sandwiches filled with premium fruit, elegant rusks carefully crafted in an old-fashioned workshop, and Tsukuba's famous deep-fried manjuu buns, which have an addictive crunchy texture. Specialty products from long-established breweries, such as world-class craft beer produced by a long-established sake brewing company and a popular brand of Mito natto (fermented soybeans) that is said to be the original, are also indispensable souvenirs that will please your partner. Here are some of the best souvenirs of your trip to Ibaraki that can be purchased in the Tsuchiura and Tsukuba areas.

A hearty fruit sandwich with luxurious high-grade fruit sandwiches

 The
The "Mixed Sandwich" (left), with different fruits depending on the season, and the seasonal "Japanese Chestnut Mont Blanc Style Sandwich" for 702 yen (right).

This store specializes in fruit sandwiches filled with fruits directly from Tsuchiura Daido Fruits and Vegetables, a local wholesale store that handles high-end fruits from all over Japan. Produced by a resident patissier with a background in Italian and French cuisine, there are always about 15 kinds of luxurious fruit sandwiches on hand. The most popular is the heavy "mixed sandwich," which is decorated with four to five different kinds of fruit. The fruits include the best ripe bananas, mandarin oranges, kiwifruit, and other fruits that are sweetened to perfection, depending on the season. One bite and the sweetness of the refined juice dripping from the ripe fruit spreads out, and is softly enveloped by the fine cream and slightly sweet bread. You can enjoy seasonal fruits such as ripe strawberries from winter to spring, mangoes, melons, and muscats in summer, and Japanese chestnuts in autumn.

Product name/price: Mixed sandwich, 680 yen.
Shelf life】Two mornings after purchase, refrigerated.
Sold at AEON MALL Tsuchiura, Tsukuba Days Town, and other locations of "Fruit Sandwich Kajuru".

Fruit Sandwich Kajuru Hitachino Ushiku Store
  • Address 1-23-1 Hitachino Higashi, Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan Seiyu Hitachino Ushiku Store 1F MAP
  •  Direction 3 min. walk from JR Hitachino-ushiku Station
  •  Hours of operation 11:30 - close when sold out
  •  Closed No holidays
  •  TEL 029-886-5782
  •  Parking Charged (free for up to 2 hours)

Enjoy the crunchy texture of freshly fried buns at the foot of Mt.

 Even if the dorayaki has cooled down, you can reheat it in a toaster oven to bring back its crunchy texture.
Even if the dorayaki has cooled down, you can reheat it in a toaster oven to bring back its crunchy texture.

A long-established Japanese confectionery store that has been in business for over 100 years at the foot of Mount Tsukuba. The variety of manjuu (buns) made using traditional methods at the factory attached to the shop are popular as souvenirs and snacks for mountain climbers. The most popular item among visitors is the bale-shaped "karinto manju," which the fifth-generation owner invented in the image of the texture, flavor, and shape of karinto. The brown sugar-kneaded dough is used to fill the buns, which are then deep-fried in hot oil until crispy. Freshly made every day, the crispy texture of the fried dough is matched by the softness of the original bun. The harmony of the brown sugar flavor and the gentle sweetness of the sweet bean paste is also excellent. The "Karintou Manju" spread by word of mouth after a person who stopped by during cycling on the Tsukuba Kasumigaura Rinrin Road shared its deliciousness on SNS. The deep-fried buns are best enjoyed on a bench in front of the store.

Product Name / Price】Karinto Manju (1 piece) 140 yen, (5 pieces in a bag) 700 yen, (10 pieces in a box) 1,450 yen
Shelf life: 4 days from the date of manufacture.
Sold at

Numataya
  • Address 1400 Numata, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  •  Direction Approx. 30 min. by car from the Tsuchiura Kita IC of Joban Expressway
  •   Direction Approx. 60 min. by Tsukuba Bus Northern Shuttle from Tsukuba Express Tsukuba Station, approx. 3 min. walk from Tsukuba-Yamaguchi Bus Stop.
  •  Business hours 9:00-18:00
  •  Regular holiday Year-end
  •  TEL 029-866-0036
  •  Parking Free of charge
  •  Memo Parking for large buses is not available

Rich, aromatic and elegant rusks handmade with an original recipe

 Tenshi no Rasuku
Tenshi no Rasuku" (at the back of the plate) with rich plain and green tea, and "Goddess no Rasuku" (front) with honey granola and honey almond.

The owner's hobby developed into a specialty store specializing in homemade rusks, which he opened in the old house where he was born and raised, turning it into a workshop. After much trial and error, he perfected his own recipe for "Tenshi no Rasuku" and "Megami no Rasuku". Tenshi no Rasuku" comes in eight varieties, and the ingredients used to make the rich plain rusks are really simple: highly concentrated cream, butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla beans from Madagascar. They are handmade by dipping unbaked baguettes in a liquid made of the ingredients and baking them in the oven. The flavor of the crispy bread is combined with the aroma and richness of good quality butter and a hint of sweetness for a refined taste. In addition to tea, cocoa, coffee, and coconut, Japanese flavors such as green tea, brown sugar, and sesame are also available. Two types of "Goddess Rasuku" are topped with honey-covered roasted almonds and granola. The aroma of honey from local apiaries is impressive.

Product name/price: Tenshi no Rasuku (180 yen per piece), Goddess Rasuku (300 yen per piece)
Expiration date: 30 days from the date of manufacture.
Sales outlet] Online store available.

Rasuku Kobo Bi.Sekiyama
  • Address 5-2214-2 Karasuyama, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki MAP
  •  Direction Approx. 13 min. by car from R Tsuchiura Station
  •   Direction Approx. 15 min. by Kanto Railway bus from JR Tsuchiura Stn. bound for Arakawaoki Stn. East Exit Stn. via Sakuragaoka, approx. 4 min. walk from Mimomi Jinja-mae bus stop.
  •  Business hours 10:00-18:00
  •  Regular holiday Mon. and Tue.
  •  TEL 029-842-9742
  •  Parking Free of charge

Craft beer with a delicate taste pursued by a sake brewing company that has been in business since the Edo period

 From left to right:
From left to right: "Yuzu Lager", "Daidai Ale" and "White Ale

A sake brewery with a long history, founded in 1823 in Naka City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The brewery, which continues to make sake, entered the microbrewery business in 1995. The brewery directly imports raw materials from Europe and the U.S., and "Hitachino Nest Beer" is created based on authentic techniques learned from American brewers. It has evolved into a craft beer loved in 40 countries around the world, with a delicate taste that pursues originality. The beer is adorned with an owl logo and features a lineup of approximately 20 varieties, including seasonal products. The popular "White Ale" features a soft, smooth taste made smoother by the addition of wheat. The "Daidai Ale," filled with the juice of "Fukuroi Mikan" oranges produced in Ibaraki Prefecture, offers a mellow citrus aroma and the subtle bitterness of aroma hops. Yuzu Lager," a sharp beer with the sourness of Japanese yuzu, is also recommended.

Product name/price: Hitachino Nest Beer White Ale (330ml bottle, 435 yen per bottle), Hitachino Nest Beer Dai Dai Dai Ale (330ml bottle, 435 yen per bottle), Hitachino Nest Beer Yuzu Lager (350ml can, 435 yen per bottle)
Shelf life] Approx. 210 days from the date of manufacture.
Sold at "IBARAKI Sato Sake Shop" and "Liquorshop SATO" in JR Tsuchiura Station Play Atre, as well as online store.

Kiuchi Sake Brewery
  • Address 1257 Konosu, Naka City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  •  Direction 5 min. walk from JR Hitachi-Konosu Stn.
  •  Business hours 10:00-18:30
  •  Closed January 1
  •  TEL 029-270-7955
  •  Parking Free of charge

Authentic space food developed for Japanese astronauts

 Space Curry
Space Curry" is made by heating the retort pouch in hot water. Microwaving is not possible. One bag of "Space Onigiri" contains

A museum store of space-related goods at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center. Space goods and goods with the JAXA logo are on display, and more than 20 kinds of long-term preserved food are available in the space food corner. Some of the foods have been brought into space by Japanese astronauts, and are marked with the red "Space Japan Foods" mark, which indicates JAXA's certification. One such product is "Space Japanese Food: Space Curry," jointly developed by House Foods and JAXA. The beef curry is thickened to make it easy to eat even in zero-gravity space, and has a rich, spicy flavor that stimulates the taste buds. Containing high amounts of turmeric and calcium, it is a retort food that supports life in space with its nutritional value well thought out. Space Japanese Food: Space Onigiri (Salmon), made from alpha rice, is easy to prepare: just pour in hot or cold water, pour down, and wait a certain amount of time. It can be used as an emergency ration and is a great souvenir.

Product Name / Price】Space Japanese Food Space Curry (1 box) 610 yen, Space Japanese Food Space Rice Balls (salmon, 1 bag) 460 yen.
Shelf life: 1 year and 6 months from the date of manufacture.
Sales outlet] There is an online store.

UNiBO JAXA Tsukuba Space Center
  • Address 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, JAXA Tsukuba Space Center MAP
  •  Direction Approximately 18 minutes from Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express by car.
  •   Direction Approx. 6 min. by Kanto Railway bus from Tsukuba Express Tsukuba Station to Arakawaoki Station West Exit, approx. 1 min. walk from National Institute for Materials Science bus stop.
  •  Hours of operation 10:00-17:00 (Tours are available from 9:30-16:30)
  •  Regular holiday Closed on weekends, year-end and New Year holidays (Dec. 29 - Jan. 3), Property inspection days, etc.
  •  TEL 029-850-1718
  •  Parking Free of charge
  •  Memo Advance reservations are required to use the store. The store can also be used with an advance reservation at the exhibition hall "Space Dome" next to the store.

Ibaraki's specialty, dried sweet potatoes with the sweetness of sweet potatoes concentrated inside

 200g bag of Maruboshi. Dried
200g bag of Maruboshi. Dried "Beni Tenshi" sweet potatoes, matured and sweetened with our original storage technology, processed into dried potatoes.

A store and café specializing in baked sweet potatoes using an original brand of sweet potatoes, Benitenshi. In order to convey the new value of sweet potatoes, the shop offers a variety of sweets using sweet potatoes of different shapes and sizes. The "Beni Tenshi" yaki-imo has many fans, and its matured sweetness, which reaches a maximum sugar content of 47 degrees after slow baking, is exceptional. The second most popular product after the baked sweet potato is the "Dried Sweet Potato Kohaku Beni Tenshi Maruboshi. A whole small "Beni Tenshi" is used, steamed for a long time, and then dried using a unique method. The amber-colored maruboshi has a soft, sticky texture and is very satisfying. The more you chew, the more the sweeter the sweetness of the sweet potato spreads. For those who prefer a more convenient way to eat sweet potatoes, choose hiraboshi, which is sliced sweet potatoes. There are also seasonal brands such as Yumehiraki, so you can compare them with other brands.

Product Name / Price: Dried Sweet Potatoes Kohaku Beni Tenshi Maruboshi (200g, in a bag) 1,680 yen
Shelf life: 2 weeks from the date of manufacture.
Sold at "Kuradashi Yaki-imo Kagatama" Play Atre Tsuchiura Store, Tsukuba Store, Aeon Tsuchiura Store, and other stores, as well as online store.

Kuradashi Yaki-imo Kasuga Kasumigaura Main Store
  • Address 517 Jizo-mae, Owada, Kasumigaura City, Ibaraki MAP
  •  Direction Approx. 20 min. by car from JR Tsuchiura Station
  •   Direction Approx. 44 min. from JR Tsuchiura Stn. by Kantetsu Green Bus Kasumigaura Kaiwa Bus, approx. 5 min. walk from "Owada" bus stop.
  •  Hours of operation 9:30-18:00
  •  Closed Open daily (closed temporarily)
  •  TEL 029-879-8077
  •  Parking Free of charge

Straw-wrapped Mito natto (fermented soybeans), which has been handed down from a long-established business of more than 100 years

 Straw natto (fermented soybeans) from Tengu Natto Corporation, marked by the white whiskers of a tengu (a Japanese dog)
Straw natto (fermented soybeans) from Tengu Natto Corporation, marked by the white whiskers of a tengu (a Japanese dog)

This is a factory-direct store of "Tengu Natto", one of the leading natto brands in Mito. It was founded in 1910 by the second son of Seizaemon Sasanuma, who started the natto business in Mito and marketed Tengu natto, after splitting the goodwill. Tengu natto is said to be the original Mito natto, which was launched in time for the opening of the JR Joban Line. Tengu Natto Extra Small Grain Straw Natto is a specialty product that makes use of craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation. The traditional method of fermenting soybeans in straw has been preserved. It is very sticky and easy to eat over rice. The original "Sasanuma Goro Shoten" has black tengu whiskers on the package, while this branch has white whiskers. You can also buy it at "NewDays KIOSK Tsuchiura Kaikagai Store," but both stores take turns delivering tengu fermented soybeans for three days, so you can tell which one is on the store shelves by the color of the whiskers.

Product name/price: Tengu natto (very small grain straw natto), 3-bundle (with sauce and mustard), 810 yen.
Shelf life: 10 days from the date of manufacture, refrigerated.
Sold at "NewDays KIOSK Tsuchiura ticket gate outside store" and online store.

Tengu Natto Direct Sales
  • Address 1-13-13 Yanagimachi, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture MAP
  •  Direction Approx. 20 min. walk from JR Mito Station
  •  Hours of operation 8:30-17:00
  •  Closed January 1
  •  TEL 029-221-4225
  •  Parking Free (3 cars)

Imomitsu Nama Caramel, a new type of raw caramel in which the sweet potato melts in your mouth

 No sugar or additives are used, so you can taste only the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
No sugar or additives are used, so you can taste only the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.

This yaki-imo store started out as a mobile yaki-imo shop in Tsukuba City in 2005. Its signature product is a premium yaki-imo with a sticky texture and rich sweetness made from "Beni-Tenshi" sweet potatoes produced in Ibaraki Prefecture and baked at a low temperature for a long time. The menu also includes a variety of other sweet potato treats, such as the "Yaki-imo Sandwich," which is a combination of sweet potato, cream and fluffy bread, and "Creme Brulee made with Yaki-imo. A popular souvenir is the fresh caramel made from "imomitsu," a natural syrup extracted from sweet potatoes. Unsalted butter and fresh cream are added to the ingredients, and the mixture is slowly simmered over a controlled heat to avoid burning, resulting in a smooth finish. A single piece will melt in your mouth with the simple sweetness of sweet potatoes, and you will enjoy its rich flavor.

Product name and price: Sweet Potato Honey Raw Caramel (10 pieces) 750 yen (tax included)
Shelf life: 75 days unopened from the date of manufacture *Refrigeration required (10℃ or below)
Stores】Tsuchiura main store, Asakusa store, and online store

Yaki-imo specialty store Imoyasu Honten
  • Address 1 Okishinden, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki MAP
  •  Direction 17 min. drive from JR Tsuchiura Station or 10 min. walk from JR Arakawaoki Station
  •  Hours of operation 12:00-18:30
  •  Regular holiday Mondays (or the following weekday if Monday is a national holiday)
  •  TEL 029-846-0240
  •  Parking Free of charge

Traditional flavors and fresh dorayaki are popular, and the dorayaki specialty store is crowded even on weekdays.

 Chestnut doras in the back and custard doras in the front
Chestnut doras in the back and custard doras in the front

A "dorayaki specialty store" that sells more than 6,000 pieces a day. The main store in Tsuchiura allows customers to shop while looking at the glass-walled factory, and is crowded with customers even on weekdays. The most popular item is "Kuri-Dorayaki," which has been available since the store was founded. 15 to 17 grams of moist chestnuts are used and wrapped in a sweet red bean paste to balance out the slightly sweet chestnut nectar.

The most popular refrigerated product, "Custard Nama Dora" has a slightly sweet custard cream with an elegant fresh cream flavor that you can eat as much as you like. The dough is made by increasing or decreasing the amount of water depending on the temperature and other factors, and has a pleasant texture similar to sponge cake, with a wide variety of products that incorporate the essence of Western sweets. There is also a Play Atre Tsuchiura store in Tsuchiura Station, which offers these two products and other popular items. The limited edition products available at each store are also appealing.

Product name/price] Chestnut Dora: 230 yen, Custard Nama Dora: 200 yen
[Shelf life] Chestnut Dora: 3 days in summer/4 days in winter from the date of manufacture, Custard Nama Dora: 3 days in refrigeration from the date of manufacture
[Sales locations] Shichino Tsuchiura main store, Play Atre Tsuchiura store, Tsukuba Gakuen store, Pasar Moriya store

Shichino Tsuchiura Honten
  • Address 60-3 Teno-cho, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki MAP
  •  Direction Approximately 8 minutes from JR Tsuchiura Station by car
  • Bus DirectionFrom JR Tsuchiura Station, take the Kasumigaura wide-area bus bound for Tamatsukuri Station (approx. 13 min.), and alight at Tenozaka-shita bus stop (approx. 1 min. walk).
  •  Hours of operation 9:00-17:30 [December-February], 9:00-18:00 [March/April/September/October/November], 9:00-18:30 [May-August], 9:00-18:30
  •  Closed January 1
  •  TEL 029-828-1117
  •  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.