When the summer comes to an end, admiring Ibaraki’s kochia bushes is a great way to enjoy the changing of the seasons in Japan.
Japan is a country of four seasons, and watching those seasons change is a national pastime, leading to traditions like hanami (花見), where friends gather to view blooming cherry blossoms and other flowers, and koyo (紅葉), when the people of Japan flock to parks and natural vistas to watch the leaves change into a riot of reds and yellows. Usually, the fall tradition of koyo involves vibrant Japanese maples and tall trees towering overhead, but in Hitachi Seaside Park, visitors instead come to admire bright red leaves that grow a little closer to the ground. These fluffy tufts of autumn red are kochia bushes, and they cover the Ibaraki hillside.
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NAME:Hitachi Seaside Park (ひたち海浜公園)
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It's my fourth year living in Tokyo now, and I love wandering Japan looking for good food, lovely new places, and the best tourist attractions throughout the country.