The Hitachi Seaside Park is a sprawling 470-acre park that displays a riot of colourful flowers through the year. If you’re ever in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, then you shouldn’t miss the gorgeous seasonal blooms of tulips, Baby Blue Eyes, roses, daffodils, zinnias, poppies, cosmos, Kochia and more, set amid an amusement park, and several cycling and walking trails. The park looks different each month and season, thanks to the different flowers and their distinct colours. Just two hours from Tokyo, it is perfect for a day trip from Japan’s scintillating capital.
The park is, perhaps, best known for its Nemophila that spreads like a delightful blue carpet across Miharashi Hill during springtime. Around 4.5 million Baby Blue Eyes dot the land as far as the eye can see between late April and early May. This “Nemophila Harmony” mirrors the colour of the sky, and is iconic to the flower park. Walk down the path for some truly superlative views of the park with the ocean in the distance.
It’s the season for poppies from mid-May to early June, when you’ll discover a sea of these delicate red blossoms dancing in the breeze. Roses are also in bloom during this time, and share a different space in the park to astound you with their colours and sheer beauty. Late May to mid-June sees a profusion of purple Linaria that seems to grow wild along the walking tracks, after which multicoloured Zinnia assert their dominance. However, there’s nothing like the beauty of thousands of sunflowers looking at you from their home in the garden in around mid-August.
As autumn approaches, the vividly green Kochia spread their emerald freshness across the park, sharing space with the delicate Pampas Grass from early September to late October. The alluring cosmos in all tints of magenta and purple takes its place, and the colour of the little green Kochia bushes deepens into a vivid red as the weather cools further, much to the delight of the patrons of the park.
As the seasons turn, you’ll see the Narcissus bloom in happy, bright yellows in the Suisen Garden in the large, forested area near the park’s main entrance. These golden blooms are followed by the rainbow stripes of almost 250 species of the well-loved tulips. The tulips give way to the Baby Blue Eyes in spring.
While the flowers are seasonal highlights, the park may be enjoyed all through the year. Revel in a scenic train route or take a bicycle tour around the huge garden. A giant Ferris wheel in the amusement park also provides hours of entertainment. The famous buffet restaurant, Stamina Taro in Hitachinaka, offers a varied selection of foods, including Japanese-style barbecue, sushi, and desserts.
There’s much to enjoy and appreciate in the Hitachi Seaside Park. Come, partake in this truly visual delight.
If you are planning a day trip to Hitachi Seaside Park, do not hesitate to contact your luxury travel designer Mr. Isao Numano.