I’m visiting my husband, who’s currently on tanshin-funin in Hitachinaka, and we’re looking for something fun to do in mid-February. We’ve already done all the major spots several times: Hitachi Seaside Park, Nakaminato Fish Market, Mt. Tsukuba, Kairakuen, temples and shrines, the suspension bridge and waterfalls, basically all the “touristy” stuff. We have a car, so we could drive as far as Iwaki in southern Fukushima or maybe Gunma? We’re looking for off-the-beaten-path things. Galleries, hiking, onsen, local events, quirky food spots, anything interesting if it means having an adventure would be awesome. I’m based in Nagoya and travel up to Ibaraki several times a year.
Update: Thank you everyone for all the suggestions! Some of these we’ve already been to, and others are new ones we’re excited to explore. I’ve visited about five times now, and now that we’re empty nesters, we’ve really enjoyed the historical sites and museums, collecting goshuin and kamitama at various shrines and temples, trying shakyo (sutra copying) at Ushiku Daibutsu, and going hiking and surfing. By the way, I live in Nagoya, which is often called one of the most boring cities in Japan. But just like Ibaraki, it’s less touristy and actually has a lot to explore if you know where to look 🙂
by Lopsided_Gazelle_533