Today I went to Shimotsuma which is one of the neighbouring towns to Tsukuba. I am only aware of it because it appears in the film “Kamikaze Girls.”
I got the bus from outside KEK to Shimotsuma Station.
Shimotsuma Station
After walking around Shimotsuma, I had lunch at the “Forest of the Aristocrats.” I had pizza – yum!
Kizoku no mori (The Forest of the Aristocrats)
I did not see what was so aristocratic about it!
I also visited the nearby park called Kokaigawafureai which was full of wild flowers.
The wild flowers at Kokaigawafureai park
Tsukuba Monogatari 
Where is the Forest of the Ancestors in Shimotsuma@ address or location to Station
Hi Sylvia, this is where it is:
https://goo.gl/maps/T13J4fGwLQL2
584 Yokone, Shimotsuma-shi, Ibaraki-ken 304-0035, Japan
I hope you get to visit it.