Living in Mito

An administrative and commercial hub city where the Ibaraki Prefectural Office is located. It is the home of Mito studies, and its representative image is the plum blossom festival at Kairakuen, one of Japan's three great gardens. With the commercial district in front of the station being reorganized, big shopping requires traveling by car, and rather than a daily commute to Tokyo, it is a neighborhood for families and office workers who value a hub city's administrative, medical and educational infrastructure along with nature and history.

Mito is the seat of the Ibaraki Prefectural Office on the JR Joban Line, a core city where administrative and commercial functions gather. It has Kairakuen, counted among Japan's three great gardens, and a festival is held in plum season. It takes over an hour to Tokyo by limited express, and the hollowing out of the city center has raised dependence on cars. It suits families and office workers who value a regional hub city's daily infrastructure, nature and history over commuting.