Mito offers three different points of interest to consider when planning your trip: the history of Kairakuen, nature at Lake Senba and exhibitions at Kodokan. This lets you give different weight to gardens, landscapes and culture according to your own interests, rather than centering your stay on a single theme.

Kairakuen: A garden with a history

Kairakuen opened as a garden in 1842, after Tokugawa Nariaki, the ninth lord of the Mito domain, selected the scenic spot by Lake Senba. Here, history and location go hand in hand: the site was chosen with a view of the lake. If you are interested in how a garden came to be, this connection offers a specific historical point of interest and makes Kairakuen a destination in its own right on your trip to Mito.

Lake Senba and the park: Nature at different times of year

Senba Park is home to about 700 cherry trees, including Somei Yoshino cherry trees that bloom in spring. The exact timing of the bloom can vary. Spring is therefore a seasonal consideration for your plans, but not a fixed date. If cherry blossoms are a deciding factor in your trip, check the expected bloom status closer to your visit.

Lake Senba adds another nature theme to the park. It is a shallow, gourd-shaped freshwater lake below Mito-Kairakuen. Mute swans, tufted ducks, smew and water rails can be seen at the lake; sightings vary by season. The distinction is useful when planning: spring is named as the blooming season for the cherry trees, while individual bird sightings may vary throughout the year. You can weigh garden blossoms and wildlife watching as two separate reasons for choosing when to travel.

Kodokan and its exhibition rooms

Kodokan adds a cultural focus to the garden and nature themes. Its exhibition rooms display maps, rubbings, seals and photographs. These different types of objects give you a concrete sense of what is presented there. If you would like to include exhibitions in your trip, you can consider Kodokan alongside Kairakuen and the nature attractions at Lake Senba as an interest in its own right.

Getting around and accommodation in Mito

The bicycle rental station at the north exit of Mito Station is also useful for finding your way to Kodokan and Kairakuen. The bicycle rental station at the north exit of Mito Station can make it easier to plan routes to Kodokan and Kairakuen; the related information was updated in 2022. If you would like to include cycling in your route planning, check rental availability in advance.

When looking for a hotel in Mito, you can first decide whether Kairakuen, the seasonal nature attractions or Kodokan is your priority. Then compare the specific address of your accommodation with your own sightseeing plans. This way, you can choose where to stay based on the destinations you actually want to include.

Discover more destinations: Ryugasaki, Kasama, Koga, Yūki, Miho, Omitama, Hokota, Chikusei

For the main travel overview: Ibaraki Prefecture.