Higashibaraki District

We departed on a Sunday at the end of July. The trip took 2 hours to Oarai Isomae Shrine (60-minute stop), followed by a seafood market (90-minute stop) where we had our own seafood meal and a single oyster (800 yen). We stopped at Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki (120-minute stop), which required a separate ticket for 450 yen. We couldn't catch the park's scenic train (we didn't buy the 600 yen one-day pass), so we walked the entire way. We saw some sunflowers, which were short and cute. We passed through the Nature Forest, visited a traditional Japanese house, and then walked to Miharu-no-Oka (Sunny Hill), where we saw small green broom plants. At the top of the hill, there was a clock and chairs, and surprisingly, a gentle breeze. The temperature was only 27 degrees Celsius, making it feel like a true escape from the heat (it was 37 degrees Celsius in Tokyo the day before). The walk back to the west exit from the hill takes 30 minutes, so allow plenty of time. Our guide, Cora, managed the time very well. The group included people who spoke English and Chinese, and she explained the itinerary patiently and kindly. It was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it. I departed from Shinjuku Love Landmark at 8:00 AM and returned to Shinjuku Love Landmark at 5:15 PM. Although it was Sunday, the outbound journey was smooth with no traffic jams, and I arrived at the first stop in 2 hours. The return journey was busier, taking about 2 hours and 15 minutes from the seaside park to Shinjuku.