Before Hitachi Seaside Park turns red for autumn, it’s got a beautiful summer color to show you too.

Japan is a country with strong swings between its seasons, often resulting in splashes of color as different types of flowers or foliage reach their peak beauty. So if you’re headed to an outdoor attraction while traveling in Japan, timing is important, and right now is a fantastic time to visit Hitachi Seaside Park.

“Wait a second,” you might be thinking. “I though you guys said that early summer is a good time to visit that park, since that’s when its blue Nemophila flowers are in bloom. And wait, didn’t you say autumn is good too, because that’s when the park’s kochia bushes all turn red?” Yep, we sure did, but late summer is also awesome at Hitachi Seaside Park, because before those kochia can turn red, they need to grow green, and that’s what they’re doing now.

The park has a total of roughly 40,000 kochia plants, and they cover the Miharashi no Oka (“Lookout Hill”). While the ocean is visible from the top of the hill, it’s the topography itself that really catches the eye here, and the paths that wind up and around the slope let you surround yourself with greenery.

As an added bonus, Hitachi Seaside Park tends to be less crowded in summer than in the spring or fall. A big reason for that is no doubt the higher temperatures in summer, so you’ll want to bring a hat or parasol with you, but even those can lend a jaunty, fashionable look to photos you snap while strolling amongst the kochia, especially if you color-coordinate with your outfit or the blue sky above on a sunny day.

This year, the park has even planted more kochia at the base of the hill, in the section called Miharashi no Sato, which also has examples of traditional Japanese farmhouse architecture.

This year’s kochia are expected to have their bright green color from now through late September, after which they’ll start transitioning to autumn red. And if you’re looking for other reasons to visit Ibaraki, don’t forget that it’s got a great beginner-friendly mountain hike you can do plus the mysteries of Gama Land to experience.

Related: Hitachi Seaside Park official website
Source, images: PR Times
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