Ishige is a rural district of south-western Ibaraki, now part of the city of Jōsō, on the Kanto plain between the Kinugawa and Kokai rivers. It is a gentle, open landscape of rice paddies, vegetable fields, groves of trees around old farmhouses and shrines in small woods, with Mount Tsukuba standing alone on the horizon to the north-east.
This area is part of the old Shimōsa and Hitachi provinces, and in the tenth century it was the stronghold of Taira no Masakado, a warrior who rebelled against the imperial court and declared himself the new emperor in the east. His rebellion was crushed and he was killed in 940, but he became a legend, and shrines dedicated to him are found across the Kanto region, including the famous Kanda Myōjin in Tokyo. His spirit was long believed to be powerful and vengeful.
As a food stop, the area offers the simple pleasures of rural Japan. Roadside michi-no-eki rest areas sell local vegetables, rice, sweets and bento, and restaurants serve soba, udon and tonkatsu. Ibaraki is known for its melons, chestnuts and natto, fermented soybeans, which are an acquired taste but a source of local pride.
The riding is flat and relaxed, with straight roads through the paddies and along the rivers, and very little traffic away from the main routes. Fuel and food are available in Jōsō and the surrounding towns. The views of Mount Tsukuba across the fields are lovely, especially in the morning light.