When we talk about autumn, you will generally think bout maple trees. But if you’re looking for something more unique for autumn, then you should visit Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki. The park is famous for its vast area of Kochia plants, also known as the summer cypress or burning bush. This oddball plant is known for its unique round shape and vibrant colors that can be enjoyed in 2 seasons. But it attracts more visitors in autumn as the leaves turn bright red in color, perfect for the autumn season.

About 32,000 Kochia plants are planted in the hills of Hitachi Seaside Park in June and grow from 15 cm to 70–80 cm during summer. From July to October, the Kochia balls gradually turn from vibrant green to bright yellow then into burning red colors. To celebrate the peak season of the spectacular plant, Kochia Festival is held from mid-September to mid-October where you can see plants in full burning red colors. Aside from the Kochia Plants, the field also grows colorful cosmos flowers which also attracts a lot of visitors.

How To Get There

If you plan to visit Kochia Hill from Tokyo, you can take the JR Joban Line super express “Hitachi” to Katsuta Station. Then from Katsuta Station, you need to take the Ibaraki Kotsu bus towards “Hitachi Kaihin Koen” which will take about 20 minutes.

In addition to that, when planning to take a trip to Kochia Hill, make sure you go from the beginning of July to mid-October, as mentioned earlier, to see the Kochia plants in bloom.

Where to Stay?

Visiting Kochia Hill and staying around Ibaraki for your whole trip wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. Ibaraki is a nice place to chill and enjoy Japan’s culture. It is also just an hour away from Tokyo. If you’re planning to get an apartment or a week-long accommodation around the area, then the best way place to visit is KaguAruoo. With over 2000 listings in Ibaraki, you can conveniently search for your desired accommodation online. What makes KaguAruoo even more efficient is its function to connect the landlord and the tenant directly through the website’s in-app messaging. You don’t need to go all the way to Ibaraki just to find an apartment. You just need to search, inquire, sign the contract online, and pay online as well!

No guarantor, no key money, and no deposit needed. Experience something revolutionary with KaguAruoo.