Universities near Iwama (Ibaraki-ken)

[Green Airplane]

Hello,
I'm looking to apply for a MONBUKAGAKUSHO scholarship. I was told that the first step is to pick an university (or more) and start communicating with them. I don't plan to apply for high profile universities like University of Tokyo or Kyoto University. I think this would rather reduce my chances of actually getting there. I study IT, and you can study IT anywhere, so I don't really care as long as it is in Japan (and not in Hokkaido, I hate cold).
So I thought I'd pick my schools based on their location. I'd like for the school to be as close to the town of Iwama (now part of Kasama) as possible.
I've done some searching, there doesn't seem to be an university in Kasama, though there is one in Mito - actually a campus of Ibaraki University.
What other schools are in the area? Which ones would you recommend to me?
Any other advice regarding scholarship or study in Japan is welcome.
Thank you.