Ibaraki, which is considerably near Tokyo, is known to be the home of many educational institutions, especially colleges. While you're walking along the streets in the capital city, Mito, you'll see tons of school kids dressed in smart uniforms. Mito is a good base for you to explore some parts of the prefecture. A key attraction will be the Hitachi Seaside Park which is blanketed in different flowers throughout the year.
Tsukuba Wan Wan Land, a literal doggy wonderland, is hardly visited by foreign tourists, but is very popular with the Japanese. It might be a little difficult to get here, but I promise you that it will be worth the time and effort. Where else can you play with and spend quality time with so many dogs?