Ibaraki 1 Day Itinerary (Mt. Tsukuba & Ushiku Daibutsu)

This is a 3000-year-old shrine that has deified Mt. Tsukuba. Tour the front shrine located on the mountain. Afterwards, also visit Asahi Inari Shrine which is located behind Tsukuba-san Shrine. Also called “Shusse Inari” (Success Inari), it is said to bring good fortune in business.

Take the cable car departing close to Tsukuba-san Shrine and head for the peak. You can enjoy a one-hour trek on the nature trail. Going down on the cable car, have lunch in the town located by the gate for Tsukuba-san Shrine. *To head for Ushiku Daibutsu from the afternoon, get on the Kanto Tetsudo (Railway) bus bound for Tsuchiura Station at the Numata stop and go to JR Tsuchiura Station. For details on transportation, you can go to the tourist information center located close to Tsukuba-san Shrine.

Visit Ushiku Daibutsu, once recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest Buddha statue. Worship at the soaring statue within the spacious grounds and then do a tour inside the statue itself. Special products of Ibaraki Prefecture are also sold within the garden while you are enjoying shopping in the facility.

These are outlet shops where brand goods from Japan and other countries can be purchased at reasonable prices. There is also a food court which has restaurants serving Japanese/Western dishes and cafés so that you can easily enjoy tea time or a meal.