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Nikko Kinugawa Onsen / Nikko Edo Village - These two attractions are located southeast of Nikko on the Tobu Kinugawa line. Kinugawa is a hotel-packed onsen town that is popular because of the Japanese' love for soaking in hot waters. On the other hand, the Edo Village is an innovative recreation of an Edo-period village, complete with samurai quarters, a 'temple of hell', ninja displays, and a 'ninja maze'. It is advisable to call out for help should you get lost in the maze. The village is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. From December to March, it closes at 3 p.m. Lake Ozenuma - The largest of their kind in Japan, the high marshlands around Lake Ozenuma cover an area of 8 sq. km. This area is well-known for its bird life and wildflowers, especially mizubasho or skunk cabbage. Getting into Lake Ozenuma may prove to be difficult. The easiest way to get to the lake is to start from Nemuta in Gunma prefecture, take the bus to Oshimizu, which is one of the main trails for hikes into the region. Accommodations are available in the form of inexpensive huts on the hiking trails. Mashiko With approximately 50 potters in this town, Mashiko is indeed a center for country-style pottery. The town became famous when Hamada Shoji (1894-1978), the potter, settled here and started producing his Mashiko pottery from 1930. His influence and presence brought about many other potters - both local and foreign - to Mashiko. To see the town's kiln requires a lot of footwork. A copy of the Tourist Map of Mashiko, which is available from the tourist information counter at Utsunomiya station, will be an added advantage for visitors. There are over 300 kilns in the area and it could take a long time going through each one. The Hamada House and Tsukamoto Kiln are recommended. The former has both wood-fired kilns and modern automated contraptions, and visitors can even fiddle with the machines themselves. At the Tsukamoto Kiln, introductory courses are available although reservations are required. To reach Mashiko, visitors can take the train from Ueno to Utsunomiya. From the Utsunomiya Tobu station, take the bus to Mashiko. Mito With its population of 234,000, Mito is the capital of Ibariki prefecture. Once a castle town, it is now noted for its Kairaku-en Garden, one of Japan's three most celebrated landscape gardens, with the other two being Kenroku-en in Kanazawa and Koraku-en in Okayama. The Kairaku-en Gardens date back to 1842 and are well-known for their ume or plum blossoms, which bloom in late February or early March. The garden also houses the Kobun-tei Pavilion. To reach the gardens, take the limited express from Ueno to Mito on the JR Joban line, and then catch a bus from Mito station to Kairakuen-mae bus stop.
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