Living in Ishioka

The birthplace of the name "Ibaraki" for the prefecture, an old city where the provincial capital of Hitachi Province stood for nearly 300 years in the Nara and Heian periods. Its representative image is the Grand Annual Festival, counted among the three major festivals of Kanto, and as a flat plain between Mt. Tsukuba and Lake Kasumigaura, its climate is mild. In exchange, you have to accept around one hour each way for commuting to Tokyo.

Ishioka is a city formed by the old castle town (the seat of the Hitachi provincial capital) centered on Ishioka Station on the Joban Line and the Yasato basin (farming villages on the northern foot of Mt. Tsukuba). Its strengths are history, festivals, orchards and a rural environment. However, there is no railway on the Yasato side, so a car is essential.