Sacred Trails and Villages of Ibaraki Add-On

Meet your guide at Hitachi Station and pick up locally loved onigiri before travelling to Oiwa Shrine, set among tall cedar trees in the mountains of northern Ibaraki. Begin with a short ritual led by a shrine maiden, followed by time to explore the grounds and learn about the shrine’s history and importance to the local community. Continue on foot along the forest trail towards the summit. The moderate hike opens up to wide views across the surrounding landscape, where you’ll stop for a picnic lunch before descending. Afterwards, visit a local home in the small village at the foot of the shrine. It is a chance to move beyond sightseeing and meet people who live here, gaining a more personal introduction to rural life in Ibaraki.

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Spend today in Machiya, a quiet rural village where local residents are working to bring new life to the community. Your host, Ikeda-san, runs Machiya Laboratory, a café that has become a gathering place for both residents and visitors. Explore the village on foot, stopping at a family-run sake and wine brewery to sample its drinks and hear about life in the area. Continue through rice fields and along riverside paths to a local flower garden, where you’ll choose blooms to make your own ikebana arrangement. Back at the café, prepare a homemade lunch together using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Afterwards, explore independently with a hand-drawn map or take a short hike up Kuroiso Bakke for panoramic views over the town. (B)

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The final day explores the forests around Fukuroda Falls, one of Ibaraki’s best-known waterfalls. Choose how active you want to be, with either a lighter 4.6-kilometre nature walk along the historic Tsukii Old Road or a more demanding climb of Mount Namase-Fuji, nicknamed the “Gendarme of Ibaraki” for its ridgeline terrain and views. After the walk, visit Okuno Takisanso, a riverside guesthouse created from an old watermill. Sit down for tea and traditional sweets with the Fujita family before continuing to central Daigo. Finish the trip wandering its retro shopping streets, where old houses have been repurposed as cafés, shops and izakaya-style pubs while retaining much of the town’s Showa-era character. Afterwards, continue your onward journey as part of your wider Japan itinerary. (B)