Hitachi Seaside Park

Background

Hitachi Seaside Park lies in Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, facing the Pacific. Sources give different figures for its area: English Wikipedia gives about 190 hectares, while Japan Guide gives 350 hectares. The park's emblem is Miharashi Hill, covered in nemophila in spring and kochia in autumn, so that the same hill changes colour with the seasons. There are flowers to see in every season: ice tulips and plum blossom in winter, around a million daffodils in early spring, tulips in spring and sunflowers in summer, among others. The park also has cycling paths, a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel about 100 metres tall, the Seaside Train and barbecue areas.

Local customs

• Climb Miharashi Hill to see the sea of flowers and the Pacific beyond
• tour the park by bicycle or on the Seaside Train
• picnic and barbecue in the designated areas.

Travel tips

• The park is large, so allow most of a day and wear comfortable walking shoes
• most amusement-park rides cost extra. Flowering varies with each year's weather, so check the bloom information on the official website before you go. Nemophila usually peaks from late April to mid-May and kochia is reddest in early to mid-October, a short window
• ice tulips bloom around December to January and plum blossom around January to March.
• From the Tokyo direction, take the JR Jōban Line to Katsuta Station and change to a bus for the park
• alternatively, take the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway Minato Line to Ajigaura Station (check official notices for services and fares).