Conveniently located just one hour north-east of Tokyo, Ibaraki has its eyes on the future, being at the forefront of Japanese scientific research and development.

At the same time, though, the region offers a diverse array of mountains, lakes, lagoons and sandy beaches, ideal for city-dwellers seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

Ibaraki's capital city of Mito developed during the Japanese feudal period as the regional base for the ruling Tokugawa clan and was home to a thriving community of scholars, craftsmen, and artisans.

One of Japan's three most celebrated landscape gardens, known as Kairakuen, was established here in 1842. Today, Mito is primarily a commercial city of some 240,000 and a leading industrial and manufacturing centre for Japanese enterprise.

Traditional crafts have been practised continuously in Ibaraki, utilising techniques handed down from generation to generation. For example, tsumugi silk pongee from the town of Yuki is the oldest high-quality silk fabric in Japan, with a history dating back more than 1,200 years to the Nara period.

Every step in the tsumugi crafting process is still performed by hand today.

With a texture resembling cotton but with silk's inimitable sheen and appeal, tsumugi from Yuki is used for a wide variety of beautiful products, such as kimonos, neckties, wallets and purses.

Having undergone expansion, the Ibaraki Prefectural Kashima Soccer Stadium is a football-only stadium. European football stadiums clearly influenced its design.

With nearly 42,000 seats, improved facilities for disabled spectators and a new large format video screen, the stadium has an intimate feel that gives spectators a true sense of the action as it takes place on the pitch.

And standing at the stadium entrance is a statue of Kashima's most favourite footballer: the Brazilian star Zico, who brought his playing and coaching skills to the town, inspired renewed enthusiasm among a new generation of young fans, and helped the Antlers become Japanese League champions.

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