A Sea of Red in Hitachi Seaside Park
As a child growing up in a tropical country with only two seasons (wet and dry), I remember being fascinated the first time I saw a picture of a forest ablaze with fall leaves. I decided then that autumn was my absolute favorite season, despite having never experienced it in my life.
Japan being Japan, it took that season, and brought it to a whole new level. And so we have the show-stopping Kochia hill found at the Hitachi Seaside Park in Japan's Ibaraki prefecture.
It looks even better in real life
Kochia is actually a weed, and it's normally green or brown for most of the year. It's been described as troublesome and invasive in some Western countries, but the Japanese, who have an infinite appreciation for beauty, especially of the transient kind, have made it the centerpiece in a landscape that blooms a fiery red for a few precious weeks every autumn.
Like a scene from a Dr. Seuss book
So every year at around mid-October (we were there on October 12, 2017), the Kochia hill becomes a breathtaking sight when around 32,000 kochia balls go from bright green to bright red. Sharing its little corner of the park are fields of cosmos flowers, which also reach full bloom in autumn.
Cosmos and kochia co-existing beautifully
'Come hither'
Windows wallpaper potential everywhere
The cosmos/kochia area is larger than what these pictures might suggest, but it's still only just a fraction of the entire Hitachi Seaside Park, which spans 350 hectares, 200 of which are open to the public and offer many other attractions such as flower gardens, biking trails, restaurants, and even a mini amusement park for kids.
Map taken from the park's official site
Note that each section of the park is scheduled to bloom at different times of the year. Like a beautifully orchestrated symphony where you hear something new with every listen. There's always room for another replay.
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven" - Ecclesiastes 3:1
Calendar taken from the park's official site
Don't want to walk or bike? No sweat! There's a little train that goes 'round the park and you can hop on and off all day for only 500 yen.
Very popular with seniors
Entrance to the park itself is only 410 yen for adults, 210 for seniors, and 80 for children. What adds to the expense however, is the transportation going to and from there, since it's about a 2 1/2 hour trip (train + bus) from Shinjuku station. Expect to spend around 4000 yen each way if you take the limited express train. A pricey and lengthy journey, yes, but once you get there, you'll know it was every bit worth it ❤️
With matching red bonnet