outdoors

Hitachi Seaside Park

The Japanese love flowers, in and out of sakura season. Another example of this, the aforementioned Tokyo wisteria notwithstanding, is Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki prefecture. Late every April (usually just a couple of weeks after the cherry blossoms have peaked), this coastal paradise becomes a sea of bluish-purple Nemophilia flowers. The park is pleasant outside of this period, too, but if getting the proverbial money shot is your priority, time your visit as precisely as possible. HOW TO GET THERE: The Limited Express Tokiwa train takes you directly from Tokyo to Katsuta, where you can ride a bus or hail a cab to Hitachi Seaside Park.