Ishioka City is known as one of Japan's leading aerial sports areas, attracting many flyers from all over the country. It's also famous as the site of the Hitachinokuni Sosha Shrine Festival, one of the Kanto region's three major festivals. It's a major event, attracting approximately 400,000 tourists over the three days of the festival. Other festivals include the Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival and the Mimurasuka Shrine Gion Festival. Ishioka City is also one of the prefecture's leading rice-producing areas, with endless stretches of traditional rural scenery in the suburbs. Fruit cultivation is also thriving at the foot of Mount Tsukuba. During harvest season, picking strawberries, pears, and other fruits is also popular.