A Dreamy Blue-Violet Sea of Flowers at Hitachi Seaside Park That Captivates at First Sight

By the MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Team

In Ibaraki Prefecture, a destination less frequented by Taiwanese tourists, there’s a must-visit flower spot recommended for travelers who love Japan and floral photography — the National Hitachi Seaside Park (国营ひたち海浜公园). As the name suggests, it is located near the ocean (the Pacific), allowing visitors to enjoy the flora while also taking in the sea view, adding depth to the scenery and creating a romantic, dreamlike atmosphere like a fairyland.

The park boasts a wide variety of flowers. In spring alone, you can admire plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, azaleas, tulips, and more. As April progresses into late April, there's an even rarer sight: a vast sea of blue-violet Murasaki Kosumosu flowers. The expansive hillside covered in these flowers is truly memorable, with its beautiful blue-violet hues forming a genuine "flower sea." Murasaki Kosumosu, also known as nemophila or baby-blue-eyes,is native to North America. At Hitachi Seaside Park, it is mainly found on Mishahari no Oka (見晴之丘). The vast flower sea, when viewed from different angles, has the ocean as its backdrop. You can also look south to see Mount Tsukuba and west to Mount Nasu, with a foreground of yellow rapeseed fields offering multiple scenic layers. On clear days, the azure sky blends seamlessly with the flower sea, creating an incredibly dreamy and moving scene. Flower and photography enthusiasts alike are deeply captivated by this stunning display, leaving with unforgettable travel memories.

The operating hours for the National Hitachi Seaside Park in 2014 (Heisei 26) were: Spring (March 1 – July 20) 9:30–17:00, Summer (July 21 – August 31) 9:30–18:00, Autumn (September 1 – October 31) 09:30–17:00, and Winter (November 1 – February 28) 9:30–16:30. Please note that the park is closed every Monday. If a Monday falls on a Japanese national holiday, the closure is moved to Wednesday that week (no closures during March 26 – May 31, July 21 – August 31, October 1 – October 31, and December 25 – December 30). December 31 and January 1 are also closure days, as well as the first Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of February.