It’s hard to resist a garden in full bloom, especially one sampling every color of the rainbow. It was heaven on earth, I thought. Believe it or not, these fairy tale-like fields are from Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki, Japan. You might probably have come across a post on social media of a massive park covered with glorious carpets of either Baby Blue Eyes or Kochia. These two flowers are the park’s top two main attractions that attract thousands of both local and foreign tourists every year. Read on to know more about this park.
About Hitachi Seaside Park
Hitachi Seaside Park is a sprawling 200-hectare flower park located in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, Japan. It features vast flower gardens, fields, grasslands, amusement park, barbecue area, restaurants, cafe, and a forest adventure playground. The park is primarily famous for its seasonal flowers, which will rotate its full bloom throughout the year. No matter what time of the year you visit, there is always something for you to enjoy.
Check out Hitachi Seaside Park’s flower calendar to help you plan your trip.
When my friends and I visited in 2015, we were too early for the Nemophilias (baby blue eyes). When we arrived, they were just starting to bud and will bloom in the later part of April. From the later part of April until late May, the 3.5 hectare Miharashi Hills will be taken over by 4.5 million Nemophilias. There were no tulips either but Narcissus or daffodils and other members of the genus were there to make us feel the new beginning and hopeful mood of spring.
Hitachi Seaside Park Suisen Garden
If you happen to visit Hitachi Seaside Park in early spring, head straight to Suisen Garden (Narcissus Garden). There are many kinds of Narcissus (daffodils) in the area at that time. There are also pine woods and plum blossoms in the area, which look great together with the carpet of daffodils.
Note: No need to take the trolley to get here because the garden is only a few minutes walk from the west entrance near the bus stop.
Hitachi Seaside Park Nanohana Field
Not so far from Suisen Garden (Narcissus Garden), we were greeted by fields of Nanohana (Rapeseed Blossoms). The clusters of yellow flowers blooming on the tall and slender stems created a dreamlike scene. I thought, “This is Japanese Spring.” Seriously, it was surreal! You might be surprised to learn that the oil derived the the rapeseed flowers were being used for cooking and can also be used for running diesel engines!
Hitachi Seaside Park Rose Garden
In 2017, I decided to take my office mates in Hitachi Seaside Park from Tokyo. It was already the end of May so there were no cherry blossom, tulips, daffodils, and baby blue eyes. However, we were very lucky because the roses were in full bloom! The Rose Garden wasn’t that big compared to the Miharashi Hills, where Nemophilias and Kochias were located. But that doesn’t make it any less of an attraction because it has its own charm.
It was my first time to see so many different colours of roses! They have the velvety, deep red Hybrid Tea Rose, Sheer Bliss Rose (pale pink), Orange Rose, Yellow Rose, White Rose, among others. According to Hitachi Seaside Park’s website, they currently have about 120 species of roses which are blooming from mid-May until early June.
If you have plenty of time on your hands and want to experience something new from Tokyo, then a visit to Hitachi Seaside Park will be a great addition to your trip! As I mentioned, flowers change every season, so make sure to check the website’s flower calendar to know which flowers are in bloom.
Travel Notes
If you are planning a day trip to Hitachi Seaside Park, I’d highly recommend taking a train from Tokyo/Ueno. The journey takes about two hours and a single journey ticket costs JPY 4,000. Get off at Katsuta Station and catch the Ibaraki Kotsu Bus going to Hitachi Seaside Park (15 minutes).
Admission fee is JPY 450 for adults (high school students and above), JPY 210 for seniors (age 65 and over) and free for Junior high school students and under. Check out their website for more information.
Park Hours
9:30–17:00 (March 1 – July 20, September 1 – October 31)
9:30–18:00 (July 21 – August 31)
9:30–16:30 (November 1 – end of February)
Days Closed
Closed Tuesdays, EXCEPT as below:
Closed on Wednesday if Tuesday is a national holiday.
Closed on December 31 and January 1 and from the first Monday in February through the following Friday
Please note that the park is open EVERY DAY during the following periods:
- Spring: March 26 – May 31
- Summer: July 21 – August 31
- Fall: October 1 – 31
- Winter: December 25 to 30, January 2 to 7
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