Blue Sea and Rainbow Flowers at Hitachi Seaside Park

This is my first time going to Ibaraki-prefecture's Hitachi Seaside Park (Hitachi Kaihin Koen, 国営ひたち海浜公園). As usual, I didn't have prior planning. You can say that it is just one of those times that you just close your eyes, point at a place on the map and decide to go for the journey after I learned that the Hitachi Seaside Park is located not that far from Tokyo.

Starting my journey from Ueno station (上野駅), I found that I have two choices of trains bound for Katsuta station (勝田駅), the nearest train station to the Hitachi Seaside Park. The more expensive, but faster train, the express Fresh Hitachi (Furesyu Hitachi, フレッシュひたち) train and the rapid train. I decided to take a rapid train and this journey took a little more than 2 hours. But if you want to arrive faster (my estimate is about 40mins early), you can take an express train. After getting off at Katsuta station, I proceed to take a local bus which brought me straight in front of the West entrance of the Hitachi Seaside Park. I paid the small admission fee, which was only 300 yen. 

The Hitachi Seaside Park is one of Japan's most beautiful parks, famous for its seasonal flower and in spring, it's the baby blue eyes flowers (nemophila). Before this, I didn't know that the Hitachi Seaside Park was famous for its baby blue eyes, so when I reached the park, not knowing what to expect, I ask the lady at the ticket counter for more details. She told me that I was at the perfect time to see the baby blue eyes in bloom. She gave me a map on how to get there. 

Upon entering, I found a big wide-open space with a fountain. I can already see that it's a huge an park. It was only after I return to Tokyo that I found out that the park boast an area of 12,600sqm! So, that is really huge park.

A rainbow palette of flowers

Right after I entered the park entrance, I saw something unexpected. A palette of colours! It is covered with tulips. So it seems that the Hitachi Seaside Park is not only famous for its baby blue eyes, flowers, but also for its spring flowers. These are the rows of tulips, daffodils, bluebells, hyacinth and other spring flowers.  

I sat down on a pretty patch of green grass on the nearby hill and had lunch while looking at the rainbow of colours. 

Oh, did I mention that there is a river of flowers?

Baby blue eyes

After lunch, I proceed to the recommended path to the baby blue eyes. After walking through some winding road, I came upon an amazing sight. A whole hill covered with soft-blue petaled flowers! 

The baby blue eyes covered over a hill called the 'Miharashi No Oka'. The flowers made the area look like a sea. I feel the urge to dive into the fluffy blue flowers. From the top of the hill, you can see the Pacific Ocean. 

But let me warn you that it is really popular place and it is really impossible to take a photo without someone in your photo. I went on a rainy/cloudy weekday and that's why there was lesser crowd. It was raining for a bit. While many moves away to seek cover from the rain, I stayed for these photos. Despite its popularity, this park deserves to be on your must-see list if you are planning on visiting Japan next spring. 

Activities around the Hitachi Seaside Park

Apart from enjoying the seasonal flower, there are so many things you can do in this park. Many people rent bicycles or get on a train called the Seaside Train, which makes a loop around the park stops at all attractions in the park. This park offers an interesting 11 km of cycling road that goes through the park that allows you get to their many gardens with different flowers. 

Not a cycling road

If you ride the bicycle in the spring, high chances are you will be cycling through a field of yellow rapeseed flower near the big Ferris wheel. 

I fell in love with the Ferris wheel in this park because it is painted with eye-catching rainbow colours. 

Anyway, bicycling in this park is an amazing way to burn the calories and enjoy the beautiful scenery at the same time. Cycling is free if you bring your own bikes or you rent one for 300 yen per person for 3 hours. Any time in excess of this shall be charged accordingly. 

If you are into riding carousel, then, the Hitachi Seaside Park also doesn't disappoint in this area. It has a pretty carousel in their mini amusement park. If you are looking for screams and thrill, then, there is a roller coaster waiting for you to get on board. So, I believe anyone is likely to find their type of ride in this park. 

The park is also boasts of barrier-free access. You can borrow the wheelchair for free at all entrances.

Dining & Shopping

The park is also equipped with 27 BBQ spaces, perfect for that summer outing. You enjoy outdoor cooking. The BBQ spaces are located in the area nearest to the sea in the Hitachi Seaside Park, where you can catch a cool sea breeze. You will have to make reservations by phone or try your chances on the site.

If you are looking to sit down somewhere within the park and enjoy your lunch, there are restaurant such as the Lakeside Cafe, Forest Rest house, Fluffy Crepe Shop, Breeze Kitchen, Garden Restaurant, Glass House and Sponge Cake Bear. Just bear in mind that some of them are just snack bar. But, at least, there will be no hunger or thirst worries while you are at the park!

You can enjoy the Hitachi seaside park in any season as it usually features a wide variety of seasonal flower gardens such as narcissus and tulip in spring, nemophila and rose in early summer, zinnia in summer, kochia bush and cosmos in autumn and ice tulips in winter. Just make sure you check the website before you go! 

How to get there

The nearest railway station to the park is Katsuta Station (勝田駅) on the JR Joban Line  (Joban-sen, 常磐線).

By Train

1. 1hour 20mins on the Super Hitachi (スーパーひたち) or Fresh Hitachi (Furesyu Hitachi, フレッシュひたち): 4,130yen

Start: Ueno station (Ueno-eki, 上野駅) → End: Katsuta station (Katsuta-eki, 勝田駅) 

2. 2hours 6mins on the rapid train (kaisoku, 快速): 2,270yen

Start: Ueno station (Ueno-eki, 上野駅) → Mito (Mito-eki, 水戸駅) → End: Katsuta station (Katsuta-eki, 勝田駅) 

At Katsuta Station, go out of East Exit and take a bus at Bus stop #2 to the park. 

- 25mins by bus: 390yen (adult) or half price for children 6years old and above

Start: Katsuta Station bus terminal (East Entrance) Bus stop #2 →　End: Bus stop Kaihin Koen Nishiguchi, 海浜公園西口 (Seaside Park West Entrance)

Park information

Hitachi Seaside Park (国営ひたち海浜公園)

Ibaraki Prefecture, Hitachi Naka City, Oaza Mawatari 605-4, 〒312-0012

〒312-0012 茨城県ひたちなか市大字馬渡605-4

TEL: 029-265-9001

Hours: 9:30- 17:00 (The closing time may change depending on the season or weather)

Closed on Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday)

Admission fee: 

Adult (15 years older): 400yen, Child (elementary and junior high school student): 80yen, Child (under 6 years): Free 

Website: 

http://hitachikaihin.go.jp/ (Japanese website)

http://en.hitachikaihin.go.jp/ (English website)

So, what are you waiting for? Make your way to the Hitachi Seaside Park today!

For visitors to Japan, don't forget to include this park in your must-see list! It is truly one of the places to see once in your lifetime.