hitachi seaside park

Hitachi Seaside Park (ひたち海浜公園, Hitachi Kaihin Kōen) is a spacious park near Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture featuring a variety of green spaces and seasonal flowers spread out across 350 hectares, as well as an amusement park and several cycling and walking trails. The park's iconic flower is the blue nemophila, which covers Miharashi Hill in the spring and mimics the color of the sky. The flowers are usually at their peak from late April to mid May. Paths crisscross the hill providing views over the Pacific Ocean and the rest of the park. In fall, the hill is covered by green kokia bushes which slowly turn red as the weather turns cooler. These autumnal colors are usually best from early to mid October. Due to the size of the park, there are two other methods of getting around besides walking. Rental bicycles are available starting from 450 yen for three hours of use, and almost eleven kilometers of cycling paths - separate from pedestrian paths - allow easy access to the different areas of the park. A small train (on tires) also travels the perimeter of the park with stops at numerous locations. The train costs 600 yen for a 1-day pass. Getting there and around From Mito From Mito Station, take the JR Joban Line to Katsuta Station (5 minutes, 190 yen one way, multiple trains/hour), from where the buses takes you to the park (15 minutes, 400 yen one way, every 20-30 minutes). By highway bus from Tokyo Infrequent, direct highway buses connect Tokyo Station with Hitachi Seaside Park. The one way ride takes about 2.5 hours, costs 2300 yen and is not covered by the japan rail pass. Hours and Fees Hours 9:30 to 17:00 (March 1 to July 20, September 1 to October 31) 9:30 to 18:00 (July 21 to August 31) 9:30 to 16:30 (November 1 to February 28) Closed Tuesdays (or following day if Tuesday is a national holiday). from the first Monday in February through Friday of the same week; December 31 and January 1 Admission 450 yen #MyTravelStory2