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Ibaraki Prefecture has launched a new campaign to introduce and promote
the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail to foreign visitors, highlighting the distinctive
culture and nature of each area in this historical region.
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The Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail is a (planned) 320-kilometer-long trail spanning six municipalities in northern Ibaraki Prefecture (Hitachi City, Takahagi City, Hitachiota City, Kitaibaraki City, Hitachi-Omiya City and Daigo Town).
The Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail, which is accessible from Tokyo in as little as 1.5 hours, invites visitors to walk through villages and mountains while experiencing the various stories that characterize this land once known as “Hitachinokuni”.
The trail takes you to mountains that have been worshipped since Japan’s prehistoric Jomon period(prehistoric times), to beaches that are described in Japan's oldest Manyoshu poetry anthology, to inn towns that retain nostalgic traces of past eras, to retro shopping streets that continue to bring people together and enliven communities through a “on-foot journey”.
This year, Ibaraki Prefecture has created an information resource dedicated to the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail, while offering guided tours in English for foreign visitors.
Please come to Ibaraki and discover the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail, a journey through the original landscape of Japan.
Hitachinokuni
Hitachinokuni is one of the former administrative divisions of Japan.
The “Hitachinokuni Fudoki,” a geographical record compiled in the Nara period (710-794), describes it as such: “The land is large, the soil is fertile, the products of the sea and mountains are abundant, and the people live in affluence, as if in an everlasting land.”
Even today, Ibaraki Prefecture is one of the most prosperous prefectures in Japan in terms of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and its people live in abundance.
Walking along the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail, you will be able to experience the stories that have been told here since ancient times.
[Special Website “Let’s Journey Back in Time on the Hitachi-no-Kuni Long Trail”]
We have launched a special website based on the concept of “time travel,” which expresses the appeal of a walking trip to encounter history, culture, nature, and human activity over time. The site introduces the main areas of the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail along with their respective stories. The site also includes model courses, short movies of each area, illustrated maps, transportation access information, as well as links to the official website and more detailed hiking data.
*Both are available in Japanese and English.
[Short Films]
We produced 9 short films depicting history, nature and interaction with local people encountered in each area along the Hitachi-no-Kuni Long Trail. The films convey the appeal of the trail from a traveler’s perspective, the scenic beauty of its culture and nature, along with local exchange and experiences. The films are shot in Instagram-friendly portrait format for easy viewing on smartphones.
[Illustrated Map]
The illustrated map from the Special Website is also available as a PDF file to download and print for a detailed overview of the Hitachi-no-Kuni Long Trail. The file includes a pamphlet presenting the story of each area featured on the map, in addition to access info and QR code links to official websites. The pamphlet is available in Japanese, English, French and Traditional Chinese.
[Guided Tours Available in English]
We offer 2-day overnight tours as well as day tours led by an English-speaking guide.
For details of the tours, please refer to the sales pages below.
[Contacts]
Ibaraki Prefectural Government, Department of Policy Planning, Northern Region Development Bureau
Location: 978-6 Kasahara-cho, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture 310-8555
E-mail:
kenpokusinkou2@pref.ibaraki.lg.jp
Photos (From the left):
1. Main Campaign Visual of the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail
2. Campaign Visuals of the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail
3. Map of the Surroundings of the Hitachi-no-kuni Long Trail
4. Oiwa Shrine, a sacred site of worship since ancient times
5. Kuroiso Bakke, where you can overlook the peaceful countryside and mountains
6. Takado Kohama Beach, nestled between steep coastal cliffs
7. Fukuroda Falls, one of Japan’s Three Great Waterfalls
8. Daigo Town Central Shopping Street Area, preserving the charm of the Showa era
9. Mt. Tatsuware, home to many mysterious rock formations and legends
10. Hanazono Shrine, located at the foot of Mt. Hanazono
