10 things to do in Hitachinaka

Checked 15 November 2026 · Researched, not yet visited · times from official timetables and our estimates · Takumi Yamada

1. 01
   くろふね / CC BY 4.0
   See~3hNeeds a 5-hour call

   Miharashi no Oka: nemophila in spring, kochia in autumn

   A hill in Hitachi Seaside Park planted with nemophila, which turns it blue in late April. The park sets its peak window each year and adds ¥350 to the ¥450 adult fee during it; in 2026 it ran 3 April–6 May. The park opens at 09:30 and is open every day from 26 March to 31 May. In autumn the same hill is planted with kochia that turn from green to red: the 2026 peak window, with the same ¥350 charge, was 9 October–3 November; the park is open every day in October, 09:30–17:00, and from November shuts at 16:30 and on Tuesdays.

   Hitachi Seaside Park West Gate 5.1 km from the berth, about ¥2,300 by taxi (our estimate); the hill is about 1 km insideFull guide: Hitachi Seaside Park
2. 02
   
   See~2hNeeds a 4-hour call

   Nakaminato Osakana Ichiba

   A row of fishmongers and seafood restaurants on Nakaminato’s fishing harbour: thirteen shops on the market’s own map, eight of them restaurants. Fish, dried fish and shellfish are sold over the counter. Each shop sets its own hours and days off, and the market can close at short notice in a typhoon.

   12.4 km from the berth, about ¥5,500 by taxi (our estimate) · Minato Line from Katsuta to Nakaminato, ¥350, then 10 min on footGoogle Maps
3. 03
   SQ0 / CC BY 4.0
   See~3hNeeds a 5-hour call

   Kairakuen, Mito

   The garden the Mito lord Tokugawa Nariaki opened in 1842, with plum trees across the slope above Lake Senba and the Kobuntei villa (09:00–17:00, ¥230). Adult ¥320; ¥500 during the plum festival, from mid-February to late March; free before 09:00 outside it. Open 06:00–19:00, from October 07:00–18:00.

   About 21 km from the berth, about ¥9,400 by taxi (our estimate) · or JR Katsuta → Mito, 6 min, then bus 10Google Maps
4. 04
   t.kunikuni / CC BY-SA 2.0
   See~2hNeeds a 4-hour call

   The Kamiiso torii at Oarai

   A torii standing on the rocks in the surf below Oarai Isosaki Shrine, on the bluff above. The shrine grounds are free and open every day; its maritime museum opens at weekends only. Pair it with Aquaworld, about 2 km north.

   16 km from the berth, about ¥7,000 by taxi (our estimate); about 2 km from AquaworldGoogle Maps
5. 05
   AT@wiki / CC BY-SA 4.0
   See~1hNeeds a 3-hour call

   Sakatsura Isosaki Shrine

   A coastal shrine reached through a tunnel of old trees, the approach a prefectural natural monument; it is the sister shrine of Oarai Isosaki. Grounds free. It is 2.8 km from the park’s South Gate, so it fits before the park opens at 09:30.

   6.5 km from the berth, about ¥2,900 by taxi (our estimate) · 0.7 km from Isozaki Station on the Minato LineGoogle Maps
6. 06
   Miyuki Meinaka / CC BY-SA 4.0
   See~2.5hNeeds a 4.5-hour call

   Aquaworld Oarai

   Ibaraki’s prefectural aquarium, on the sea at Oarai, with ocean sunfish among its big tanks. 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:00; winter 09:00–16:00. No weekly closing day; maintenance closures in June and December (7–11 December in 2026). Adult ¥2,300, primary and junior high ¥1,100. Indoors: the rain pick.

   14 km from the berth, about ¥6,200 by taxi (our estimate) · 1.8 km from the fish marketGoogle Maps
7. 07
   Miyuki Meinaka / CC BY-SA 4.0
   See~1.5hNeeds a 3.5-hour call

   Kodokan, Mito

   The Mito domain’s school, opened in 1841, where samurai studied letters, medicine and the martial arts; the main building and gate survive. 09:00–17:00, from October to 19 February 09:00–16:30; closed 29–31 December. Adult ¥420.

   About 0.5 km from JR Mito Station (our estimate), or bus 10 from the north exit, about 3 min · about 20 km from the berthGoogle Maps
8. 08
   ジョンドウ / CC BY-SA 4.0
   Eat~30mNeeds a 2.5-hour call

   Hoshiimo, dried sweet potato

   Sweet potato, steamed, sliced and dried in the winter wind: the product Hitachinaka gives its guests. The mayor handed it to the captains of Seabourn Odyssey in 2024 and Asuka III in 2025 as the city’s gift. Shop hours near the park are not confirmed in our sources.

   Sold at the fish market and at specialist shops near the park; Hoshiimo Shrine stands beside Ajigaura StationGoogle Maps
9. 09
   Eat~1.5hNeeds a 3.5-hour call

   A seafood bowl at Nakaminato

   Raw fish over rice from the market restaurants. Prices on the market’s own site: a seared bowl at Kaisenmaru ¥2,200, the Sazanami bowl at Kobune ¥3,100, a sashimi set at Sandaime Uoichi from ¥1,320. Each restaurant keeps its own hours; most serve from mid-morning to late afternoon.

   Inside the fish market: 12.4 km from the berth, about ¥5,500 by taxi (our estimate)Google Maps