Makabe: An Edo-era town will take you back 400 years The Town of Makabe on the southern side of Sakuragawa looks almost unchanged in 400 years, its road design (positioning and width)—a historical town taking you back to the Edo era. Makabe Castle was first built in 1172, a designated national monument. The samurai family…
Amabiki Sanraku hoji (Amabiki Kannon) This is a temple opened in 587 A.D. by a Buddhist monk who returned from China. Literally translated, this is a survival Kannon Bodhisattva and it is designated a national important cultural artifact. It is known as a temple to pray for a safe and easy birth of a child…
Ring-Ring Road—the cycling road running throughout Ibaraki Prefecture—Sakuragawa’s cycling path In the Prefecture of Ibaraki, there is a cycling road called Ring-Ring Road, a 40km cycling path ideal for touring the area on a bicycle. It runs from Tsuchiura Station to Iwase Station on the Mito Line. The City of Sakuragawa is located at approximately…
Yokozan Gassan-ji (temple) Gassan-ji is a temple built in the 12th century, in the early days of the Heian Period. There is a beautiful garden on the premises and of particular interest is the spiral patterns drawn in the sand garden. November is peak foliage season and a time of year we recommend highly….
Gosho Komagataki Shrine This shrine was built in 1014A.D. In the 12th century, a member of the first landowner’s clan in Makabe, Sakurai Ichiro accept the spirit of Takemikaduchino Oomikami from Kashima Shrine and built the shrine on the southeastern corner of Makabe Castle. The main building built during the mid-Edo Period is…