Autumn 2014: Cosmos & Kochia at Hitachi Seaside Park

Visit Date: 10/19/2014 (Best viewing Time: mid September to mid October)

Hitachi Seaside Park (国営ひたち海浜公園 Kokuei Hitachi Kaihinkouen) located in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, Japan is a 190-hectare national park and is one of the best places to visit during the autumn season. The colorful cosmoses and blazing red kochia bushes or commonly known as burning bush, ragweed, summer cypress, or Mexican fireweed covering the Miharashi hill (みはらしの丘), located at the northwestern garden, allow the visitors to experience a unique fall colors.

Autumn 2014: Hitachi Seaside Park 01 The Miharashi no Oka hill with the colorful kochia bushes.

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花火 Hanabi 2014 – Summer Fireworks Festival

Summer in Japan means it is the season of fireworks. Firework festivals are held all over Japan during the summer season as the wind is gentler and the sky is clearer. Attending a hanabi event had been a fundamental part in Japanese culture. Visitors come in their traditional yukata or jinbei and enjoy the fireworks display while having a picnic or buying from the food stalls and participating in the game booths.

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