Mount Tsukuba: Take A Day Trip From Tokyo
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Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture is about a 45-minute train ride from Akihabara, making it one of the best places to get out of the city for a day trip. Whether you live in Tokyo or are just visiting, Tsukuba is a cool place for a change of scenery.
Famously known as "the science city" due to the number of researchers and institutes there, Tsukuba has plenty of things to see and do from eating their famous chicken and rice bowls to climbing their great mountain. This time JAPANKURU took a train to Tsukuba and not only climbed Mt. Tsukuba but explored around the city to see what else we could find making an evenly day trip.
Getting to Tsukuba from Tokyo
The simplest way to get to Tsukuba is taking the Tsukuba Express Line (TX). We started from their first station Akihabara, but you can also get on the train from Asakusa. Taking Tsukuba Express is great because you won't have to deal with changing trains, you just ride the train to its final destination. No hassle whatsoever.
There are also 4 trains; rapid, commuter rapid, semi-rapid, and local, all of which take you to Tsukuba from Akihabara and Asakusa so you don't need to worry about which type of train you should take. Just get on the first one you see!
Tsukuba Express (TX) website (ENG)
all you need to do is hop on the bus that takes you there.
Special Tsukuba Travel One-Day Ticket
If you buy a Tsukubasan Story Ticket (筑波山きっぷ; Mt. Tsukuba ticket), it will cover the train from Tokyo to Mount Tsukuba as well as letting you enjoy riding privileges on the shuttle bus, ropeway, and cable car. Think of it as a Mount Tsukuba tour ticket! Since we came from Akihabara, we got it there but you can get the Mount Tsukuba ticket at any TX Tsukuba Express station. It is also worth mentioning that there are two different ways to buy the ticket. To get the special designed ticket in the picture above, you can purchase them at the TX Ticket Counter. You can also get your tickets at the train ticket machine, but the ticket won't be as pretty. It will look more like a regular train ticket. But don't worry! The two are exactly the same, they just look different.
Mount Tsukuba Ticket
💰Adults about 4000 yen
Children about 2000 yen
💻TX Tsukuba homepage
Things to do
Mt. Tsukuba stands alongside Mt. Fuji as one of Japan's greatest and tallest mountains. What makes it different is that Mt. Tsukuba has two separate peaks, Nyotai-san (女体山; "female body") and Nantai-san (男体山; "male body"). Using the Mt. Tsukuba Ticket, you can reach the top of the mountain by either ropeway or the Tsukubasan Cable Car. Or if you prefer to hike, that is an option too!
The summit is filled with all sorts of oddly shaped rocks. One popular one is the Gama Ishi, which is shaped like a toad if look hard enough. It is tradition to while having your back turned to the toad, throw a stone and try to get it to land in its mouth. If you make it you are guaranteed luck and fortune.
The Koma View Terrace (コマ展望台) right beside the Mt. Tsukuba Summit Station is not only a nice place to check out a different side of Japan's countryside but a good place to eat as well! If you do stop here for lunch you should try Tsukuba's famous Oyako-don (Chicken and egg rice bowls) topped with "shichimi" which is a combination of 7 spaces. It is loved throughout Japan.
Visit Tsukubasan Shrine is of course a must. The shrines has about 3000 years of history. Two famous Japanese deities, Izanagi ("He who invites") and Izanami ("She who invites"), which are known for being the creators of Japan and many of its gods (like their first born Ebisu, and the famous Amaterasu). Their marriage has a bright yet dark history, so many couples come here to wishing for successful love and happiness.
Manjus are like sweet buns with a variety of flavors. The most common one is anko (sweet red bean paste).
Similar to mochi (sticky rice balls), dango are another great sweet snack that has three-five dango on a skewer.
Tsukuba is famous for shichimi, which is a common Japanese spice that includes 7 different spices. Here it's tradition to add some in your tea!!
Tsukuba has a lot of stone paths that have been there since Edo period. At the end of the stone steps is an antique old small building. An old post office that was built in the early Showa period (1939).
After all that hiking and walking, taking a nice hot foot bath while looking out into Tsukuba's nature is beyond amazong. Tsukuba Edo-ya (筑波山江戸屋) is also a cafe, so you can grab a drink and chill while you soak your feet.
More Things to along the Tsukuba Express Line
If you're looking for a place along Tsukuba Express Line to hang out, eat, and drink, we recommend walking around the drinking area in Kitasenju (北千住).
Takara-yu (タカラ湯), known as The King of Garden, is a lovely sento (bath house) that has several massage and aromatic baths with a nice view of a Japanese garden. We like it because you don't need to deal with massive crowds as you would in central Tokyo. It is a great place to get away from being that typical tourist!
Adachi Market (足立市場) is basically like Tsukuba's Tsukiji! Here many fish are caught, sold, and prepared for food. Here there are also restaurants and places you can eat the fish fresh.
Daikoku-yu (大黒湯) is another nice sento, but this one has a massive mural of Mt. Fuji on the wall!
Akihabara
Akihabara is famous for Japan's subculture. It is a very interesting place with games and maids, where the culture of otaku was born!
– More information on Akihabara here
Asakusa
Asakusa is a tourist destination that represents old Tokyo when it was known as Edo. If you take Tsukuba Express, you can get there in 4 minutes from Akihabara.
– More information on Asakusa here
Nagareyama City
Nagareyama is a small town in Chiba. In the city where a Japanese condiment called mirin was born, it is a cute city with lots of traditional areas to see and retro cafes.
– More information on Nagareyama here
Seeing as how Mount Tsukuba is widely recognized as one of Japan's top 100 famous mountains, it is worth checking out. Many of Japan's mountains are a bit out there, but since Mount Tsukuba is only 45mins taking TX Tsukuba Express the trip becomes a bit easier. Along with man scenic hiking trails, there are plenty of unknown gems that you won't find inside Tokyo. So if you are looking for a place filled with nature and looking to get away for a day, we highly recommend visiting Mount Tsukuba!
For more interesting topics,
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NARA
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Nara Prefecture's important history reaches back to 710, a time now called the Nara era, when it was once capital of Japan. Called "Heijo-kyo" during its time as a capital, it's said that nara was once the end of the silk road, leading it to flourish as a uniquely international region and produce important cultural properties of all kinds. To make the most of each season, travelers head to Nara Park, where the Nara deer who wander freely, or climb Mount Yoshino, a famous cherry blossom spot.
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OSAKA
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Osaka is known for friendly (and funny) people, but its history is nothing to laugh at, playing a major part in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's 16th century unification of Japan. Thanks to long years of economic activity, it's one of Japan's biggest cities, and Osaka's popular food culture earned it the nickname "The Kitchen of the Nation." To this day Osaka is the model of western Japan, and alongside historic structures like Osaka Castle, it also has major shopping malls like Umeda's Grand Front Osaka and Tennoji's Abeno Harukas. Osaka is a place to eat, eat, eat, with local specialties like takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushi-katsu, and for extra fun, it's home to Universal Studios Japan.
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CHUGOKU
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The Chugoku Region (中国地方) consists of five prefectures: Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In Chugoku you’ll find the sand dunes of Tottori, and Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site, plus centers of ancient history like Grand Shrine of Izumo.
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HIROSHIMA
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Hiroshima Prefecture has everything, from world heritage sites to beautiful nature and delicious local cuisine, and it's either an hour and a half from Tokyo by plane, or four hours by train. Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island and the Atomic Bomb Dome, two Hiroshima UNESCO sites, are famous around the world, but in Japan it's also famous for food. Seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially oysters, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and Setouchi lemons are all popular, and the natural scenery alone is worth seeing.
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SHIKOKU
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On the other side of the Seto Inland Sea opposite Japan’s main island, Shikoku (四国) is a region made up of four prefectures: Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. The area is famous for its udon (in Kagawa), and the beautiful Dogo Onsen hot springs (in Ehime).
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KAGAWA
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Kagawa Prefecture is on the northern part of the island of Shikoku, facing Japan's main island and the Seto Inland Sea. It's known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, by area, but at the same time Kagawa is called the "Udon Prefecture" thanks to its famous sanuki udon. Aside from Kotohiragu Shrine and Ritsurin Garden, the prefecture's small islands are popular, and Kagawa is full of unique destinations, like Angel Road. They say that if you lay eyes on Zenigata Sunae, a huge Kagawa sand painting, you'll never have money troubles ever again.
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KYUSHU
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Located in the most southwestern part of Japan, Kyushu (九州) is an island of 7 prefectures: Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima. The island's unique culture has been influenced by Chinese and Dutch trade, along with missionaries coming in through Nagasaki's port. Modern-day travelers love the lush natural scenery and fresh food, plus the natural hot springs found all throughout the area (thanks to volcanic activity)!
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FUKUOKA
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Fukuoka Prefecture has the highest population on the southern island of Kyushu, with two major cities: Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. Thanks to growing transportation networks, Fukuoka is more accessible than ever, and so are the many local attractions. On top of historical spots like Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, travelers shouldn't miss Fukuoka's food scene, with motsu nabe (offal hotpot), mentaiko (spicy cod roe), and famous Hakata ramen―best eaten from a food stall in the Nakasu area of Hakata. Plus, it's full of all sorts of destinations for travelers, like trendy shopping centers, and the beautiful nature of Itoshima and Yanagawa.
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KAGOSHIMA
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Kagoshima Prefecture played a major role in Japan's modernization as a backdrop for famous historical figures like samurais Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, who pushed Japan out of the Edo era and into the Meiji. Because of that, Sengan-en Garden is just one of many historical destinations, and when it comes to attractions Kagoshima has plenty: the active volcano of Sakurajima, popular hot springs Ibusuki Onsen and Kirishima Onsen, World Heritage Site Yakushima Island, even what Japan calls the "island closest to heaven," Amami Oshima. Kagoshima might be found on the very southernmost tip of the southern island of Kyushu, but there's plenty to see.
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OKINAWA
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The island chain of Okinawa (沖縄) makes up the southernmost tip of Japan, which is why it's also the most tropical area in the country. Thanks to a history of independence and totally distinct political and cultural events, Okinawa has a unique culture, and remnants of the Ryukyu Kingdom are still visible all over the islands. Food, language, traditional dress, it's all a little different! It's also said to be the birthplace of karate.
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