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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Ushiku
牛久
Skip Ushiku unless you are a Buddha-statue completist or live in Ibaraki: the Daibutsu is a 30-min stop, the rest is a commuter town with little else for a traveller.
Ushiku is a bedroom suburb of Tokyo and Tsukuba. Its only draw is the 120-m Ushiku Daibutsu, the world's tallest Buddha statue, with an elevator to an 85-m chest-level viewpoint. The former winery (Ushiku Chateau) and a small iris garden fill a half-day at most. Most travellers should skip it or combine it with a day in Tsukuba or Mito.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 牛久
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jun (rainy season)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–12,000 excl. bed · High ¥12,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥300–500 |
| Ramen bowl | ¥700–1,000 |
| Beer (can at konbini) | ¥250–350 |
| Taxi from station to Daibutsu | ¥1,500–2,000 |
| Daibutsu entry (statue + garden) | ¥800 |
| Bus from station to Daibutsu | ¥300–500 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NRT · Narita International Airport
- About 1 h by JR Narita Express to Tokyo, then 1 h by JR Joban Line to Ushiku; or direct highway bus (check).
- HND · Tokyo Haneda Airport
- About 1 h by Keikyu Line to Tokyo, then 1 h by JR Joban Line to Ushiku.
Typical fares
- Tokyo (Ueno) → Ushiku, JR Joban Line
- about ¥1,500–2,000, about 1 h (check)
- Ushiku Station → Daibutsu, taxi
- ¥1,500–2,000, about 10 min
- Ushiku Station → Daibutsu, bus
- about ¥300–500, about 20 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Ushiku is walkable only near the station. The Daibutsu is 4 km (2.5 mi) east: take a taxi (about ¥1,500) or the local bus (check frequency). Bicycle rental is available at the station (check).Ushiku is walkable only near the station. The Daibutsu is 2.5 mi (4 km) east: take a taxi (about ¥1,500) or the local bus (check frequency). Bicycle rental is available at the station (check).
See and do
Known for
- Ushiku Daibutsu (tallest Buddha statue in the world)
- Ushiku Chateau (Japan Heritage winery buildings)
- Iris garden (seasonal)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tsukuba | JR Joban Line to Tsuchiura, then bus or taxi (about 40 min total) | About 1 h |
| Mito | JR Joban Line, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Tsuchiura | JR Joban Line, about 10 min | About 20 min |
| Hitachi | JR Joban Line, about 1 h 10 min | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Near Ushiku Station
- A few business hotels; convenient for the JR line but no nightlife.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the Buddha statue? | 大仏はどこですか？daibutsu wa doko desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Ushiku Daibutsu closes at 17:00 (last entry 16:30); check the official site for seasonal hours.
- The iris garden is best in June; outside bloom season it is a quiet park.
- Ushiku Chateau has limited opening hours: check the website before visiting.
Very safe; typical Japanese small-city safety. Watch for heatstroke in summer and limited English signage at the Daibutsu.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ushiku yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ushiku Daibutsu (tallest Buddha statue in the world)
- Ushiku Chateau (Japan Heritage winery buildings)
- Iris garden (seasonal)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ushiku Daibutsu official site: daibutu.net/
- Ushiku Chateau official site: www.oenon.jp/ushiku-chateau/
- Ushiku tourist association (Japanese): www.ushikukankou.com/
- Wikivoyage: Ushiku, revision 5202857 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5202857
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ushiku牛久
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
The US has an embassy in Tokyo; most other countries have embassies in Tokyo or consulates in Osaka.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ushiku). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.