Mito City is famous for Mito Domain. It is famous for Tokugawa Three Families 徳川御三家. They’re relatives of Tokugawa shoguns. They were candidates of shogun if former shogun doesn’t have sons. The others are Owari Domain in Aichi Prefecture and Kishu Domain in Wakayama Prefecture. These three families and Tokugawa main family got dukedom in Meiji Period. That’s the highest rank with in nobility. Basically, they respect their ancestors very much.
Mito Mitsukuni 水戸光圀is especially famous. He is known as Mito Komon水戸黄門. He is a hero in a famous Showa drama. He travels with Sukesan and Kakusan all over Japan and defeated bad guys. He is also famous to eat first ramen from China. This is why Mito City holds Ramen festival every years.
Tokugawa Mitsukuni - Wikipedia
Mito Domain is also famous for Mito Studies. It’s one of the sects of Confucianism. I don’t know the differences of them. Of course Mito Domain is related to Kashima City.
My image of Ibaraki is bad. I have impression they are arrogant. An information board in Warabi-shuku in Saitama Prefecture also says Mito Domain samurais were arrogant. They commuted to Edo. So they stayed such post towns every year. That’s famous Sankin Kotai. I think this is why it is a regular of the bottom of attractiveness ranking.