Travel (Online!) To Hitachi, Japan With Endless Fields of Blue Flowers

With the current pandemic keeping us inside, it’s not just a matter of not being able to travel abroad. Many of us are feeling a extremely down with the lack of sunlight, fresh air, and outdoor activity. While there is no replacement for frolicking in the great outdoors, being cooped up inside doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy observing the beautiful changes of season that are arriving in these spring months.

In Japan, several different parks are devoting to cultivating vast fields of single flowers, and open their doors seasonally to visitors who will come from abroad and all over Japan to witness the beauty. Ever seen selfies taken in the middle of hills of golden sunflowers? Or images of a forest full of red spider lilies, like something truly taken out of a fairytale? Yep, all of these can be found in Japan. This appreciation of the cultivation of nature is something so many visitors to the country enjoy, or even travel here for specifically. While Coronavirus is keeping tourists out of the country for now, many parks and other attractions are adapting today. We will show you how you can dive into a park of perriwinkle flowers in Japan’s city of Hitachi.

Wait, I thought Hitachi Was an Electronics Brand?

And it is! You probably recognize the name for its hold in the home appliance market. The company Hitachi is well known for its production of heating and cooling systems, kitchen appliances such as refrigerators and rice cookers, in addition to beauty goods such as hair dryers and curlers (basically, anything you might need that requires a plug, Hitachi makes).

AND Hitachi also happens to be the name of the city where the brand is headquartered. Hitachi city can be found in the prefecture of Ibaraki, which is north of Tokyo on the eastern coast of Japan.

If you’ve never been, Ibaraki is a beautiful must-see area of Japan boasting mountains, lakes, beaches, basically every element of nature you could hope to enjoy. It’s also much less populated than the beach towns around the Tokyo area, such as in Chiba, so during your visit you can get a real feel for the countryside, or inaka (田舎）

Rurikarakusa, or Nemophila/Baby Blue Eyes

Who wouldn’t fall for these baby blue eyes? Nemophila are a small flower primarily found in the Western United States. They are annual blooming flowers, with a bloom period of approximately 2 months each spring. In Hitachi, April and May are the peak viewing season for our little friends. Each flower has a round bell shaped blossom formed by 5 petals. The Japanese name, rurikarakusa 瑠璃唐草 also reveals something about its growing pattern. Kusa, in Japanese means grass. If you look at photos of the flower in Hitachi Kaihin Park, you’ll see the flowers are low growing and cover the field evenly, much like grass.

Soothing Video of the Park In the Morning and Evening Hitachi Kaihin Park

The area of the park famous for Nemophila is called Miharashi no Oka. You might recognize pictures of this one little tree gazing out at the field of its little blue-eyed friends. The park has put together two beautiful videos recording the early morning hours in addition to the peaceful evening moments before dusk. The audio really helps set the mood. Either of these would be a great mood setter for beginning or ending a day inside.

映像と自然音で和む みはらしの丘

360 Degree Tour of the Park

Fancy going for a walk? The park’s site has also provided an excellent tour that will allow you to stroll about the park. Invite a friend and escape for a moment in the sea of lovely blue flowers.

We know everyone is struggling and doing their best at home! We hope these baby blue eyes brighten up your day!

360度バーチャルツアー

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