I am not always fair with Ibaraki Prefecture. I always say that there is not much to it besides the occasional haikyo, but it actually does have its charms. One such place is Hitachi Seaside Park.
The park is located next to the city of Mito and is situated along the beach. Since it is not very far from Tokyo, I waited for the perfect day (in terms of clear skies and blooming flowers) to make my way to the seaside. It took about two hours by car and I was back to work by the early afternoon. Access by train is fairly simple but takes time, so I recommend spending the day to make it worth your while.
Visiting in the autumn or winter is particularly alluring. In winter, the baby blue eye flowers are in bloom. With autumn come pink and purple cosmos as well bassica scoparia, a type of ragweed that turns bright red when the seasons change. A floral schedule is available online here. Despite the parks peaceful appearance, it is actually quite crowded! That being the case, the best time to visit is early on weekday mornings.
Do you see the little person in the middle of the picture brandishing his colorful cape? We must approach with caution.
Atop the hill of colorful ragweed lies a bell…
…to ring with your special someone, of course.
The park is an ideal place for photo shoots as well as selfie sticks (ahem!), and can also be used to make your own Microsoft quality desktop background.
I focused on this particular location, but the park is huge and there are many other plants and gardens to explore. If you have a passion for flowers, there are enough here for you to spend the entire day strolling around at a leisurely pace.
And here is our funny little person. Using the zoom function, I found her photographer hidden in the bushes. They seem to be having fun!
If you have children, they may enjoy the attractions at the park entrance or the Ferris wheel with an ocean view.
It is difficult to choose where to go in Japan during autumn. There are just too many things to see! However, if you are a family short on time with limited means of transportation, Hitachi Seaside Park is an easy choice to make.
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I didn’t have a chance to go yet – or rather I never got the timing right, but I still intend to go.
Breathtaking photos as always! 🙂
Thank you, as always 😉 Are you still coming to Japan sometimes? I need to check your blog… but somehow, I feel like I didn’t get any updates recently.
Oh, I do. I just went to Japan last month for a business trip and added one week of vacation as well. ^^
Wow! this is stunning. As a tourist, one has to decided to visit Japan in Cherry blossom or Autumn. And then there is too much to see in each season. Japan is amazing and you are one lucky photographer 🙂
Autumn is a much easier season, leaves last longer and there is always a place to see. Spring is crowded, full-bloom sakura not so easy to find and the timing much more random. There is an amazing period which is the end of May, before the big rains of June. Everything is fresh, green, flowers blooming, amazing skies, not so many tourists. My secret recommendation 🙂
Thanks for the insight. I will keep this tip in mind when i plan my next travel to Japan.