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The perfect off-the-beaten-path day-trip from Tokyo, the Makabe area of Sakuragawa City in Ibaraki is a little village in the foothills of Mt. Tsukuba peppered with hundreds of historic buildings and national tangible cultural properties. Quaint and sleepy for most of the year, it truly shines in the month leading up to Japan’s Hinamatsuri Festival, so here at JAPANKURU we knew we had to hop on Tsukuba Express and go check it out.
Heading to Ibaraki with Tsukuba Express
Hinamatsuri is a Japanese festival with a history of over 1,000 years, sometimes called Girls' Day, where families with daughters decorate their homes using sets of traditional dolls, symbolizing their hopes for the children's bright futures. These dolls are still made by hand and machine all over Japan, including by the artisans in nearby Saitama, but this spring the JAPANKURU team wanted to visit one of the best spots to see them on display! Makabe's yearly Hinamatsuri Festival celebrations include Hina doll displays (or ひな人形, "Hina ningyo" displays) all over the town, with dolls new and old, elegant and unusual, common and extremely rare – and they're all on display for a whole month, from Feb. 4th to Mar. 3rd in 2020.
Head on over before the festival ends!
We knew we had to check out the festival as soon as possible! Really getting out into the countryside can be tough for travelers visiting Japan, but we had a pretty easy time finding our way over. This time, we started at Tsukuba Express Akihabara Station, the train's terminal, although travelers staying in Asakusa can also start their journey at the Tsukuba Express Asakusa Station.
After arriving at Tsukuba Station we took the escalator up to exit A3, and into the fresh outside air. Our next destination, the bus stop, was right in front of our eyes! A couple different bus routes leave from this spot, so we were careful to line up for the Tsuku-bus Kitabu Shuttle (つくバス 北部シャトル).
The shuttle took us to Tsukubasanguchi bus stop, where we were able to quickly transfer to our final bus, a Yamazakura Go Sakuragawa City Bus, which was pink and decorated with some local mascots! If you ask for a transfer slip from the first bus driver as you get off (called a "noritsugi waribikiken", or 乗継割引券), they'll give you a little piece of paper that gives you a discount on the second ride as long as you pay in cash, so don't make the mistake of paying with IC cards like us. (Whoops!)
And we made it! Since we headed over during the earlier days of the Makabe Hinamatsuri Festival, we were able to get off the bus right in the middle of things, at Shimojuku bus stop. During some of the busier days of the festival, vehicle access to the central area is limited, so the bus stops at a stop that's a few minutes walk away, Sakuragawa City Hall bus stop.
Bus goes all the way to Shimojuku: 2/4~2/21, 2/25~2/28, & 3/2~3/3
Bus stops at Sakuragawa City Hall: 2/22~2/24, 2/29~3/1
① Tsukuba Express Akihabara Station ⇒ Tsukuba Station (via Tsukuba Express Train)
② Tsukuba Station ⇒ Tsukubasanguchi Bus Stop (via Tsuku-bus Kitabu Shuttle)
③ Tsukubasanguchi Bus Stop ⇒ Shimojuku Bus Stop (via Sakuragawa City Bus)
But First – Kimono Rentals!
Going on this excursion out of Tokyo, we wanted to make the most of our time in Ibaraki, so we decided to get into the spirit of things by exploring Makabe wearing kimono! (Fortunately, they were not just thin cotton yukata, so we were comfortably warm in the cool February weather.)
We walked just a couple minutes from Shimojuku bus stop to Edohatsu, a shop that offers kimono for sale, kimono repairs, kimono lessons, and of course kimono rentals! With so many gorgeous options, picking out the perfect kimono and obi (belt) combination turned out to be surprisingly difficult, but the staff really helped us, letting us drape on lots of different kimono, until we finally arrived at some great outfits. Considering how affordable the rental price is, we were moved by the dedication and great service we got from the friendly shop staff. Finally, after taking a trip to the shop's second floor to get dressed by a kimono expert, we were ready to go on our way and see the sights of the festival!
Edohatsu (江戸初)
376 Makabecho Makabe, Sakuragawa, Ibaraki
Hours: 10:00 – 19:00 (closed Wednesdays)
Kimono Rental: 3,900 yen
Official Website (jp)
Celebrating the Makabe Hinamatsuri Festival
The Many Sights of Gojinyamae St
Gojinyamae St (御陣屋前通り) is arguably the center of activity in Makabe, with restaurants, souvenir and sweets stores, and plenty of Hina dolls to feast your eyes on.
The Unique Displays of Hananoi Brewery
A little apart from Makabe's old town area is the Hananoi Brewery, run by Nishioka Honten, a sake brewery in business since the late 1700s. Interestingly, the brewery sets up some fascinating displays during the Hinamatsuri Festival.
Break Time!
The Beautiful and Unusual Hina Dolls Found in Every Corner of Makabe
Walking through the old streets of this once-upon-a-time Japanese castle town that still uses the same street plan as 400 years ago, it seemed like every other building we passed was a historical structure or even a registered tangible cultural property. And everywhere we looked there were Hina dolls, from little ones hiding on street corners, to huge shelves of them right inside the open doorways of homes and shops. We loved just strolling through the totally unique Makabe atmosphere.
Finding Our Way Back Home
And all too soon, it was time to wrap up our tour of Makabe and head back home. We scurried back to Edohatsu and changed back into our mundane everyday clothes, then walked back over to the bus stop to catch the last connecting bus leaving the area. From Shimojuku bus stop to Tsukubasanguchi bus stop, then back to Tsukuba Station, and finally returning to Akihabara on the speedy Tsukuba Express, we did the whole process in reverse, and were home all too soon.
If you're up for a little day trip adventure into the northern outskirts of the Tokyo area, away from the hustle and bustle of city life and into an area steeped in history, we recommend you follow our lead and head to Makabe! Thanks to the quick Tsukuba Express trains that run deep into Ibaraki in no time, it was a simple enough excursion, and a totally unique experience. Immerse yourself in Japanese culture while you're here, and head to Makabe's Hinamatsuri Festival!
Then let us know how it goes! Or drop us a line if you need any help planning your trip to Ibaraki, on twitter, instagram, and facebook!
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