Every journey has its pace. In Oarai, on the Ibaraki coast, that pace is set by the sea—steady and patient. Just roughly two hours away from Tokyo, this quiet fishing town offers a welcome contrast to the city’s constant motion. Perched above it all, Kamenoi Hotel Oarai offers the best seat to the sea’s slow theatre, a place to watch and rest.
This is how to discover the beautiful town of Oarai with Kamenoi Hotel as your coastal retreat.
Fishing Culture and Seafood
The heart of Oarai beats at its port. Your Oarai Japan travel isn’t complete without its seafood, so let’s start with that. Before sunrise, fishing boats glide into harbor carrying the morning’s catch, which mostly includes swordfish, anglerfish, crab, and octopus. The air around the Oarai Seafood Market fills with the aroma of grilled oysters and crab soup, making it one of the best early stops for travelers gathering for a casual breakfast before they start the day. There’s also a lot of Oarai seafood restaurants in the area with excellent breakfast and lunch options.
Crossing Kaimon Bridge, which links Oarai and neighboring Nakaminato, brings another glimpse of coastal life. From here, it’s a short drive to the Nakaminato Fish Market, where conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, seafood stalls, and seasonal treats, like Ibaraki’s famed summer melons, give visitors another taste of the region’s rich fishing culture. Being one of the best selection of seafood restaurants in Ibaraki that showcase the region's rich marine bounty. It’s an ideal stop for a late breakfast or lunch between sightseeing spots. Compared to Oarai Seafood Market, it is a more local, lively spot; a place where you can feel the daily life of the area, offering a different taste from typical tourist spots.
Ocean Torii Gate and Coastal Shrine
No image captures Oarai’s beauty better than the Kamiiso-no-Torii, one of Japan’s ocean torii gates. It marks the seaside grounds of Oarai Isosaki Shrine. The gate is perched on rocks battered by the Pacific Ocean and is said to mark the spot where gods descended to Earth. At sunrise, the first light spills across the waves, turning the sea gold, a truly spiritual spectacle that draws photographers and pilgrims alike. Just beyond the shore, the main shrine stands quietly among pine trees, an ideal place to offer a prayer or simply reflect on the tranquility of the coast. It is also a historic site founded in the Heian period (794 to 1185) and dedicated to the sea deity. From the shrine grounds, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the vast Pacific Ocean and spend a refreshing and calming time embraced by the clear sea breeze.
Sun Beach and Seasonal Flowers
When the tide recedes at Oarai Sun Beach, shallow pools form along the sand, creating perfect mirror-like reflections of the sky. By sunset, this “Reflection Beach” becomes a favorite spot for photographers because its surface catches every color of the fading light.
Oarai also sits within reach of some of Japan’s most spectacular seasonal landscapes. A short drive away, Hitachi Seaside Park transforms each season: blue nemophila in spring, crimson kochia in autumn, and tulips, poppies, and cosmos in between. Further inland, Kairakuen Garden in Mito, one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens, showcases plum blossoms, cherry trees, and fiery autumn leaves, celebrating the quiet beauty of nature’s cycles. Together, these floral landscapes frame Oarai as a fishing town where the sea and the seasons exist in harmony. They bloom best in Japan flower festivals.
Stay at Kamenoi Hotel Oarai
Kamenoi Hotel Oarai embodies the quiet elegance of the coast it calls home. The hotel captures Oarai’s serenity, offering panoramic views, onsen baths, and seafood dining that reflect the town’s intimate relationship with the sea. It’s the perfect place for a weekend escape or a longer retreat, with everything you need for a relaxing stay.
Modern Japanese Accommodation
The rooms at Kamenoi Hotel Oarai blend the honesty of Japanese design with the ease of modern living. Tatami and shoji sliding doors lend a sense of calm familiarity, while Western-style beds and elegant details introduce a touch of sophistication. The effect is understated luxury.
For guests preferring more classic configurations, the hotel offers a rich range of standard, family and Japanese-style rooms:
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Top floor Superior Fourth (with bath): up on the highest level for panoramic views, accommodating up to four guests.
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Family Fourth (with bath): a soft-color 35 m² room for up to four, tailored for families.
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Japanese-modern twin room: 35 m² rooms combining tatami-mat warmth with twin bed comfort, up to four guests.
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Standard Triple & Superior Compact Twin (with bath): efficient, calm spaces designed for two to three guests, with unit baths and functional design.
- Japanese-style rooms (10 tatami / 8 tatami): pure Japanese-style layouts of 50 m² or 35 m², with up to five or four guests respectively, ideal for stretching out in tatami.
For a deeper connection to Oarai’s calm pace, the hotel’s open-air natural hot spring rooms offer a private way to experience the coast:
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Premium Fourth with open-air bath: a generous 42 m² room accommodating up to four guests, with two beds, a day bed and a junior bed.
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Deluxe Japanese-Western room with open-air bath: sized around 44 m², also up to four guests.
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Deluxe Triple with open-air bath: slightly more compact at 38 m², suited for up to three guests, overlooking the Naka River mouth and Kaimon Bridge.
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Deluxe Japanese-Western room with view-bath: a room offering a large window view of the waterfront while enjoying the hot-spring bath inside.
Signature Hot Springs
The hotel’s signature large public bath offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, the Naka River, and Kaimon Bridge. Watching the sea and sky shift in color while immersed in the warmth of the water is probably one of the most peaceful experiences the hotel offers. The baths draw from Oarai Onsen, a natural hot spring known for its gentle, skin-softening qualities that leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized. For guests who prefer privacy, the hotel also features spacious private baths, both indoor and open-air, available for couples or families (60 minutes / ¥5,000 per session).
Shared Spaces
Kamenoi Hotel Oarai provides well-designed spaces and thoughtful services that make every stay comfortable and convenient, from check-in to departure. The open lobby lounge, which also overlooks the Pacific Ocean and the Naka River, creates a calm space to enjoy a cup or coffee or tea while watching the view. Guests can choose from colorful yukata robes to wear during their stay, adding a simple cultural touch.
To complete the Oarai experience, the souvenir shop features local specialties such as Oarai’s shirasu rice crackers, Ibaraki’s dried sweet potatoes, and Hitachino Nest Beer (an Ibaraki craft beer), along with seasonal items like plum-flavored drops and jelly that make for easy gifts or snacks to take home.
Dining Experience
Dining at Kamenoi Hotel Oarai highlights the best local ingredients from both sea and land. Breakfast begins the day with freshly prepared dishes from the live kitchen, including swordfish fry, grilled anglerfish, Oarai’s signature anglerfish soup, Hitachi Aki soba, and seasonal vegetables like lotus root, one of Ibaraki’s key crops. The town’s strong fishing culture is reflected in every dish, especially in Oarai’s reputation as Japan’s “swordfish capital,” known for its annual swordfish fishing tournament each summer.
Dinner continues the local theme with seafood specialties such as grilled abalone and anglerfish hotpot, both long-standing favorites in Oarai. The menu also features Hitachi Beef, a premium wagyu from Ibaraki known for its fine marbling and mild flavor, and Okukuji Eggs, valued for their rich color and taste. Each meal here is prepared with care to bring out the natural character of the ingredients, offering guests a simple, satisfying way to experience the flavors of Oarai and Ibaraki.
Access to and Around Oarai
Reaching Oarai is simple and convenient, and it’s often featured in Tokyo to Ibaraki travel routes for its coastal charm and easy access. The town is approximately two hours away from Tokyo. Travelers can take the JR Joban Line from Tokyo to Mito Station, then transfer to the Kashima Rinkai Railway Oarai-Kashima Line and get off at Oarai Station. For those driving, the trip from Tokyo via the Joban Expressway also takes just under two hours.
From JR Oarai Station, Kamenoi Hotel Oarai is about 15 minutes by car, or 15 minutes from Mito Oarai IC if you’re arriving by expressway. The hotel also offers a free shuttle service between JR Oarai Station and the property. Reservations are required, so reach out to the hotel at least two days before check-in. Kamenoi Hotel Oarai is one of the best hotels in Ibaraki, Japan, so you surely won’t get lost looking for it!
Once in town, getting around is easy. Visitors can explore some of Japan coastal shrines, seaside escapes, and lively markets using rental bicycles available at both the station and the hotel, or hop on the Oarai Circular Bus “Kaiyu-go”, which connects the main attractions. Oarai accessibility and gentle pace make it the perfect destination for travelers seeking a short, relaxing escape by the sea.
