Japan has always been keen to rank anything in any field. From the "Most Wanted Street List" to the "Artists Most Want to Get Married" and "The Most Popular Snacks List"... In their eyes, there is nothing that cannot be ranked in order.
Since 2009, the Brand Research Institute Co., Ltd., has also made an authoritative list in the tourism industry, which is based on 1,000 urban towns in 47 prefectures across the country, and carefully surveys 84 items such as awareness, sightseeing intentions, and residence intentions, and ranks the prefectures in order of score.
As can be seen from the latest list in 2019, Hokkaido undoubtedly won the first place and has been the champion for 10 consecutive years. The climate of the north has created a land of outstanding people, whether it is food or beauty, Hokkaido is a tourist destination where people can relax and get in touch with nature. The four seasons flow, and the distinct climate can make people feel the charm of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Kyoto and Tokyo, as the capital cities of Japan, have also received great attention. The ancient Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the spectacular Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, the trendy Daikan-san, and the grounded Asakusa are all reasons to attract tourists to these two cities.
Tochigi, Gunma, Tokushima, Ibaraki, and other obscure prefectures were miserable, becoming the bottom of the list and being publicly executed. In particular, Ibaraki Prefecture has won the last place in the "honor" for seven consecutive years! Heartache Ibaraki for three seconds.
I can't help but wonder, Ibaraki Prefecture, is it really as boring as the legend?
Ibaraki Prefecture is located in the northeast of the Kanto region, with an area of 6,096 square kilometers, and its territory is mostly plain and mountainous. It not only borders Tochigi, Chiba, and Saitama prefectures, but is also part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and is only 40 kilometers from Tokyo. From Tsukuba Station, take the Tsukuba Express (Tsukuba Express) in 45 minutes by taking the Tsukuba Express. It can be said that Ibaraki Prefecture is by no means inferior to other prefectures in terms of geographical location!
In terms of tourism, although the Japanese people's awareness of Ibaraki is relatively low, there are many eye-catching scenery!
Every May, a large sea of blue flowers appears in the state-run Homestead Waterfront Park on the Pacific Coast, attracting people to flock to see it. The state-run Hitachi Seaside Park is located in Naka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, about a 2-hour drive from Tokyo. The entire park covers an area of 350 hectares and contains different terrains such as forests, grasslands, sand dunes and so on. Every spring, about 4.5 million pink butterfly flowers bloom in the coastal sand dunes in the center of the park, as if they have fallen into a blue ocean.
Among the rolling hills, these pink butterfly flowers native to California sway in the wind, forming a spring hymn. A leisurely stroll along the trails is like being in a fairytale world.
In October, broom grass begins to appear again, and the red and dry grass brings the signal of autumn. On the undulating hills, a clump of crimson broom grass stretches for 100 meters and undulates with the wind, which is pleasing to the eye.
In other seasons, you can also see different varieties of flowers such as tulips, yumei people, and sunflowers. There are large-scale flower beds everywhere in the park, whether it is about three or five friends outings, or lovers dating, you can immerse yourself in the romantic atmosphere.
This is not the terminal of an airport, but a tram stop that is no longer familiar in everyday life.
Jr Hitachi Station in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, was designed by the famous architect Kazuyo Shimeijima, surrounded by the sea on three sides and suspended above the Pacific Ocean, like a delicate glass box.
Hitachi Faces the Pacific Ocean and has a coastline of hundreds of kilometers.
Tokugawa Mitsukuni, grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, once commented that this place has the premier view of the rising sun in the east. The huge floor-to-ceiling glass provides the best view for people who come and go to enjoy the sea view. The sun rises in the east, golden light sprinkles into the glass windows, and the shining sea spreads out in front of you.
Mito is the seat of the Ibaraki Prefectural Office and has a long history and cultural heritage, and mito Homon, one of the three most powerful and influential lords of the Edo period, was born here. Mito's Kaiyuan Park is also known as the "Three Famous Gardens of Japan" along with Kenrokuen in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and Korakuen in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture.
Kai-en Garden is a garden personally designed and planned by Tokugawa Kisaki, the ninth lord of Mito Domain, and is the only garden in Japan that can be entered free of charge. There are about 100 kinds of 3,000 plum blossoms planted in the courtyard, and the "Mito Plum Blossom Festival" is held every winter, and the light fragrance fills the garden, informing the arrival of early spring.
The wooden building in the garden, Hobuntei, also takes its name from the Japanese character "Hobun-ki" of plum blossoms. Throughout the ages, many literati and inkers have sung poems here, leaving a strong mark. In addition to plum blossoms, cherry blossoms in spring, azaleas in summer, and hagi flowers in autumn take turns to jump on the branches and decorate Kaiyuan with quaint colors.
The Mito Yellow Gate Festival, held every summer, is a long-awaited highlight for locals. The Mito Yellow Gate Festival originated in 1961 as a major celebration in honor of tokugawa Mitsuyoshi, the second generation of the domain. Lively floats, taiko drums and parades bring the festival atmosphere to a climax.
At night, the Lake of Chiba is lit with brilliant fireworks, and about 4,000 fireworks are fired from the lake, which is colorful and dazzling. The water flowers reflected on the lake surface become the best memories of summer.
The University of Tsukuba in Tsukuba City is Japan's premier science and engineering university, and the QS World University Rankings have remained in the top 300, making the entire city of Tsukuba a gakuen city.
Mt. Tsukuba in the territory is 877 meters high, with the two peaks of Mt. Men's Body and Mt. Female Body as the main body, and since ancient times, it has the reputation of West Fuji (referring to Mt. Fuji) and East Tsukuba, and is one of the hundred famous mountains in Japan. The Misatohara at the top of Tsukuba Mountain is a great platform for viewing, and you can even see Mt. Fuji on a clear day.
The Tsukuba Mountain Shrine on the mountainside has existed as the imperial body of Mt. Tsukuba since ancient times and has a history of more than 3,000 years. Every year, countless good men and women come here to visit and seek good fortune. The century-old cedar trees at the entrance of the main hall silently guard the land together with the shrine.
To say that the Internet celebrity in Ibaraki Prefecture is not the torii gate in the sea. On the coastal reef of Ōbashi town stands a rock torii gate, which is said to have been built on the beach in front of the shrine.
Sometimes the clouds are cirrus, sometimes the waves are rough, the sea presents a different expression at each time, and the torii gate is like a beacon in the sea, relict and independent. If you encounter a high tide, the waves crash on the rocks, grinding the traces of the reef layer by layer, and the magnificent scene lingers in your mind for a long time.
Every New Year,the first sunrise over the Pacific Ocean can be greeted here. People make a wish to Torii with devout faith that they can become better selves in the coming year.
All that we've seen above is just the tip of Ibaraki's heartwarming iceberg. Ibaraki city is neither lacking in unforgettable beauty nor lost in the historical and cultural connotations, and it is a pity that it has won the first place in the penultimate for seven consecutive years. Maybe it's because the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in neighboring prefectures is too dazzling, or maybe it's because there is not enough tourism publicity... Ibaraki's goodness really makes people want to defend her a few more words.
Your next trip to Japan, take a walk around Ibaraki Prefecture and enjoy the charm of the many attractions, and maybe you'll fall in love with this small city that has been ranked first in the penultimate for seven consecutive years!
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