Mito
Discover Mito
Mito (水戸 Mito-shi) is the capital of Ibaraki prefecture, Kanto region, Japan. It is in the center of Ibaraki. When Tokugawa Ieyasu reunited Japan in 1603 and established the Tokugawa Shogunate, with its headquarters at Edo (now Tokyo), he installed members of his own Tokugawa clan as rulers of Mito and only two other domains, present-day Nagoya and Wakayama. These three cadet lines (known as Gosanke) were eligible to supply an heir in case any ruling shogun failed to produce one. They were thus among the most loyal of the Tokugawa loyalists. However, the Mito School of fiercely chauvinist Confucian scholars also helped to redefine the Japanese nation in a way that provided the ideological foundation for enhancing imperial power during the Meiji Restoration and its aftermath.
What to Experience in Mito
Taste of Mito...
Mito is famous for natto (納豆), a famously smelly and sticky glop of fermented soybeans. It's an acquired taste and even many people in Japan (particularly those in Kansai) loathe the stuff. Yoshiwaradenchū (吉原殿中) is a finger-sized Japanese cake created by the Mito clan. It is made from rice cake and covered with candy and coated in soybean flour. If you are just looking to choose among options with easy access, Mito station has numerous budget and mid-range options, and the AEON Mall Mito-Uchihara (outside Uchihara station, 10 minutes from Mito station) has about 40 eateries combining over a dozen full restaurants and the food court.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFrom Ibaraki Airport, buses run to Ishioka Station (40 minutes, ¥600) for connection to JR Joban Line trains to Ueno in Tokyo (One hour, ¥2900 by Limited Express), and to Mito Station (One hour, ¥1100) for rail connections to the north. From Narita Airport, the Rose Liner airport limousine bus operated by Chiba Kōtsū and Ibaraki Kōtsū runs to/from the Mito-Oarai Interchange, Mito Station, Katsuta Station and Hitachi. There are nine daily round-trips, and the journey to Mito Station takes about two hours at a cost of ¥2900. From Haneda Airport, Airport Limousine buses make runs directly to Mito every hour, but only during the afternoon and evening (about 2 hours, ¥3500). Otherwise, take the Keikyu Line train to Shinagawa, then the JR Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku Line to Ueno to pick up a train bound for Mito (2-3 hours, ¥2600-4600, depending on what train you take; see below). Mito is on the JR Joban Line, which starts at Ueno station in Tokyo and goes to Sendai....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Mito station is a major/terminal station for the JR Joban line and JR Suigun line as well as the private Kashima line. It also has a number of other train stations within its boundaries: The bus system in Mito, like all parts of Japan, is very complicated but once mastered, very useful. Most areas are serviced with buses coming a few times each hour. The bus for Kairakuen leaves from terminal 6 on the north side of Mito station. It is not possible to use the ubiquitous Suica or Pasmo IC cards; Mito's buses through Ibaraki Kotsu use its own "Ibappi" rechargeable card. Taxis are always available and the average flag fall is ¥660. The principal tourist attraction, Kairakuen, is an easy half-hour walk from Mito station's South Exit. Just walk to the river (Sakuragawa), take a right and stay on the right bank, and keep going along the north (righthand) shore of the lake. In April, you'll walk by cherry blossoms the whole way. The waterfowl will also provide some amusement.
Money & Budget
Mito is famous for natto (納豆), a famously smelly and sticky glop of fermented soybeans. It's an acquired taste and even many people in Japan (particularly those in Kansai) loathe the stuff. Yoshiwaradenchū (吉原殿中) is a finger-sized Japanese cake created by the Mito clan. It is made from rice cake and covered with candy and coated in soybean flour. If you are just looking to choose among options with easy access, Mito station has numerous budget and mid-range options, and the AEON Mall Mito-Uchihara (outside Uchihara station, 10 minutes from Mito station) has about 40 eateries combining over a dozen full restaurants and the food court.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Mito
a car parked in a garage with its lights on
a small black car parked in a parking lot
a car parked in a parking lot at night
a small black car parked in a parking lot
Captured on April 5 2025, at Mito Beach, Numazu.
Captured on April 5 2025, at Mito Beach, Numazu.
Alfa Romeo Mito with lightpainting.
D65 E-White Custom Keyboard from KBDFans
D65 E-White Custom Keyboard from KBDFans
a car parked in a garage with its lights on
a small black car parked in a parking lot
a car parked in a parking lot at night
a small black car parked in a parking lot