Tourist information: Exploring the satoyama
Here are some spots in the relaxing town of Mashiko that will help you to unwind further.
You will find charming cafés, organic vegetable farms, organic bakeries that use natural yeast and whole wheat four, and many other spots in Mashiko where you will have so much fun that you won’t feel like leaving.
A Mashiko planner: Where to go next from Mashiko
Tochigi Prefecture, where Mashiko Town is located, has long been home to countless tourist attractions. After enjoying the satoyama in Mashiko, you can head to Utsunomiya or Nikko to enjoy the historical sites and local specialties there. Driving along the Kita-Kanto Expressway will also allow you to cross Tochigi’s prefectural border to enjoy some seafood. Here are some spots in Mashiko and the rest of the Kanto area that you might wish to visit.
Mashiko ware kilns / Mashiko ware museums / Indigo dyeing
Kominegama (Hands-on pottery experience)
Enjoy hands-on experiences such as the popular potter’s wheel, making hand-formed pottery, and ceramic painting.
Mashiko Pottery Cooperative Selling Center
At this Mashiko ware shopping complex, you can buy Mashiko ware, attend pottery workshops, visit galleries of famous artists, and have a meal.
Shoji Hamada Memorial Mashiko Sankokan Museum
This museum chronicles the dawn of handicraft, and you can learn about the history of the folk craft movement here.
Ceramic Art Messe Mashiko
Admire the craft of local artists here.
Mashiko pottery workshop
Attend a pottery workshop at Iwashita Togei while taking a look at the oldest climbing kiln in Japan.
Higeta Indigo Dyeing Studio
Learn more about Japan Blue, a traditional technique of Japan!
Strawberry farms / Wakayama Farm
Mashiko Sightseeing Strawberry Farm
Enjoy the most delicious strawberries in Japan at JA Hagano Mashiko Sightseeing Strawberry Farm.
Yoshimura Farm
At this farm, you can enjoy picking six different varieties of strawberries: Tochiotome, Skyberry, Kaorino, Benihoppe, Akihime, and Moikko.
Wakayama Farm
Stroll through the bamboo grove and pick bamboo shoots in spring (or chestnuts in autumn). The well-maintained bamboo grove here that extends endlessly in all directions is a memorable sight to behold.
Local sake / Restaurants
Tonoikeshuzouten
This sake brewery in Mashiko has a good old Japanese atmosphere that is both nostalgic and refreshing.
Yamani Otsuka
Yamani Otsuka is both a Mashiko ware shop and a restaurant.
Yokoyama Tougei
You can sit down at the café, have lunch, and buy miscellaneous goods at this Mashiko teahouse.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites / Shinto shrines
Nikko Toshogu
Check out the World Heritage Site Nikko Toshogu, a magnificent historical site nearby.
Osaki Ebisu Shrine
The most famous Ebisu shrine in Japan, you can pray for good luck with money, business prosperity, and striking the lottery here.
Osaki Shrine
Want to boost your luck with over 1,500 years of history?
Visit Osaki Shrine, which was mentioned in the Engishiki.
Waterfalls / Beaches / Airports
Fukuroda Falls
This famous waterfall has been designated as one of Japan’s top 100 waterfalls.
Oarai
Drop by Oarai, a town in Ibaraki Prefecture, to enjoy its sea and seafood after you have enjoyed Mashiko’s mountains to your heart’s content.
Ibaraki Airport
Ibaraki Airport is finally open!
Theme parks (attractions) / Pools / Steam locomotives
Twin Ring Motegi
There are lots of attractions for both children and adults here!
Ichimannin Pool
Equipped with all kinds of fun attractions from a paddling pond to domed slides and water slides, Ichimannin Pool is the perfect place to enjoy the summer!
Mooka Railway
If you are bored of trains, visit the Mooka Railway to ride a steam locomotive!
Omocha no Machi (Toy Town)
Omocha no Machi Bandai Museum
Both adults and children will have fun at this exciting hands-on museum!
Tochigi Wanpaku Park
Enjoy seasonal flowers at this park, the perfect place to bring your kids to!/p>
Zoos / Flower parks / Aquariums / Seaside parks
Utsunomiya Zoo
A zoo offering many hands-on activities, you can see white tigers and take part in petting zoo events here.
Ashikaga Flower Park
With its iconic wisteria that sprawls across an area of 383m2, this park is a paradise of flowers and light.
Ichikaimachi Shibazakura Park
This park is covered with carpet-like shibazakura (moss phlox flowers) from mid-April to early May.
Hitachi Seaside Park
The fields of nemophila flowers that bloom in spring are a spectacular sight that draws attention from both within and outside Japan.
Aqua World (Ibaraki Prefectural Oarai Aquarium)
One of the largest aquariums in Japan, Aqua World is home to over 50 species of sharks, which have become a symbol of the aquarium. There is also a kid’s corner here.
Kairakuen
Built in 1842, Kairakuen is a famous spot for viewing plum blossoms. You can also enjoy seasonal flowers such as azalea and bush clover here.
Oriental paperbush fields in Yakimoriyama
Shuttle buses are available when Oriental paperbush is in bloom.
Nippon bell flower fields
Nippon bell flowers (Shortia uniflora) are adorable, frilly flowers that are around 3cm in diameter, shaped like wide bells, and have five petals each.