This past Saturday I visited Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture to see the "Blue Field of Nemophila." I had seen advertisements for this place last year but didn't get a chance to go. So when a day opened up on the calendar, my friends the Lims (plus their two kiddos) and my friend Sarah all jumped in a car and drove 2 hours north to see this insane place in person.
The tiny blue flowers are called "Nemophila" which is such a strange word to me..but basically means "baby blue eyes" which makes sense once you see them. But all day I kept wanting to say "NemoFEEELia" !
The drive was longer than expected (a few accidents + insane traffic on the offramps) but once we got there we payed $5 for parking and $4 for an entrance ticket and headed in. Our first task was getting food, since at this point it was 2pm and we were starving. Luckily they had a few good, cheap cafes and a coffee stand where we got some strong black coffee and strawberry smoothies...yummmm.
I guess out here in the countryside people really take advantage of the open space and get extremely large dogs. HAHA! I think I saw at least 5 of these size dogs walking in the park, and its a shock to my system since I am used to the thousands of tiny chihuahuas and wiener dogs in Tokyo.
The park is huge...so we didn't even have time to see the Tulips or the small amusement park out front. But we did follow the crowds to the hill of baby blue eyes....
drumroll...
Even from a distance I was already freaking out!
WOWOWOWOWOWOOWOWWWOWOWOW
This was a highlight of the day...this lady had posed her FOUR dachshunds (who are wearing dresses mind you) for photos. I even saw another lady carrying her cat...ohhhh Japan
My beautiful friend, Sarah, from New Zealand! Not only is Sarah an awesome a chill person with a cool kiwi accent, but she is also a sister-in-Christ, a world traveler and a teacher! It is a blessing to have a friend like her in Tokyo!
Love this one of Nathalie!
I had to get the "blue" icecream that was actually RAMUNE flavor!! (for those who don't know, RAMUNE...not to be mistaken for RAMEN... is a famous soda that most Japanese American kids grew up on). This icecream even had little pieces of the sour ramune candy inside that took me immediately back to my childhood. Blue flowers with blue icecream..epic.
Okay I'll admit...this photo was totally set up by the professional photographer right outside the frame. But I'd like to imagine I miraculously captured this proposal just at the right time!
It was twilight at this point and the fields were covered in the most gentle and beautiful light that almost brought me to tears!!
Next time I go, I'm taking a hint from this cute chicka and dressing to match the flowers!
Ok one more of this cute couple who somehow mananged to find a spot with zero people around! Is it creepy that I have an engagement photo of random people on my blog? maybe.
more of those golden hour vibes.
The perfect Japanese phrase to describe this places is 信じられない which is used when you wanna say, "NO WAY" or "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT" which is exactly what I kept saying over...and over...and over...all day...
Love the Lims and their playful hearts and gracious attitude to drive us all the way out there and just enjoy the simple fun of admiring God's creation and taking photos!
And...just as the park was closing at 5pm and the security guards were shooing us away (we could have stayed forever) heavy rain clouds rolled in creating this very other-worldly feel to the place. We sprinted back to the car and made it just in time before the downpour!! Thank you Jesus!!
What an incredible day. For anyone traveling to Japan during this time of year I HIGHLY recommend this place. It's a bit of a trek from Tokyo but so worth it to see these magical hills of blue flowers. It's definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to! I think the thing that got me was the color of these flowers...this specific shade of blue that is hard to describe and so magical...especially when there are millions of them! This verse becomes all the more real when I think about these fields...
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown in the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, "what shall we eat?" or "what shall we drink?" or "what shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:28-33