From fields of colourful tulips to a sea of blue nemophila, the sprawling Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki has something to see every season. In summer, the park starts growing kochia, or summer cypress. These fluffy little bushes look like something out of a Dr Seuss book.
Currently, there are approximately 33,000 kochia bushes growing at the park’s Miharashi no Oka Hill area, covering roughly 1.9 hectares.
During summer, the bushes are in a fresh, vibrant green colour, but come autumn, they'll turn brilliant red.
These 'fur balls' have already started to change colour. The best time to see them in their full red glory is in mid-October. Later into the month, they'll start to take on a dusty golden hue.
#みはらしの丘 では #コキア が、10月18日に「#紅葉見頃」を迎えます。
— 国営ひたち海浜公園【公式】 (@HitachiKaihin) October 17, 2024
秋の澄んだ空気の中、真っ赤に染まったコキアが丘一面を鮮やかに彩ります。 写真撮影やお散歩を楽しみながら、ゆっくりとお過ごしください✨#hitachiseasidepark #ひたち海浜公園 pic.twitter.com/sZBThBIRKW
Currently, most of the bushes have started to turn red and will be at peak viewing until October 26. You can keep tabs on this year’s kochia colours forecast via Hitachi Seaside Park’s website.
The park is roughly two hours from Tokyo Station. See the park’s website for information on how to get there.
This article was published on August 18 2022 and updated on October 18 2024.
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