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40,000 kochia carpet eastern Japan park

About 40,000 kochia carpet Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 22, 2025.

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40,000 kochia carpet eastern Japan park

About 40,000 kochia carpet Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 22, 2025.

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40,000 kochia carpet eastern Japan park

About 40,000 kochia carpet Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 22, 2025.

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40,000 kochia carpet eastern Japan park

About 40,000 kochia carpet Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 22, 2025.

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40,000 kochia carpet eastern Japan park

About 40,000 kochia carpet Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 22, 2025.

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40,000 kochia carpet eastern Japan park

About 40,000 kochia carpet Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Oct. 22, 2025.

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Japan: Severe Storms Hit Ibaraki With Lightning, Hail, and Power Outages 2

Ibaraki Prefecture, located on Japan's eastern Pacific coast, experienced highly unstable atmospheric conditions, bringing intense rain clouds and numerous lightning strikes Thursday afternoon, September 18. By 3:20 p.m., over 20,000 households were reported without power. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a Tornado Advisory for the entire prefecture at 1:06 p.m. Videos shared on social media showed heavy rain, strong winds, hail, and lightning striking the region, highlighting the severity of the storm.

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Illuminated kochia field in eastern Japan park

A field of kochia plants is lit up at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 12, 2025, the first day of a special 12-day lighting event.

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Illuminated kochia field in eastern Japan park

A field of kochia plants is lit up at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 12, 2025, the first day of a special 12-day lighting event.

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Nemophila flowers in eastern Japan

Nemophila flowers are in full bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 26, 2025.

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Nemophila flowers in eastern Japan

Nemophila flowers are in full bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 26, 2025.

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Nemophila flowers in eastern Japan

Nemophila flowers are in full bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 26, 2025.

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Nemophila flowers in eastern Japan

Nemophila flowers are in full bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 26, 2025.

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Huge image of snake laid out in Ibaraki Pref. park

A huge image of a snake made from pine cones and kochia is pictured on Dec. 21, 2024, from a Ferris wheel in Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, ahead of the 2025 year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac.

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40,000 kochia carpet park

Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2024, shows 40,000 autumn kochia forming a red carpet at the 215-hectare Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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40,000 kochia carpet park

Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2024, shows 40,000 autumn kochia forming a red carpet at the 215-hectare Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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40,000 kochia carpet park

Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2024, shows 40,000 autumn kochia forming a red carpet at the 215-hectare Hitachi Seaside Park, a popular tourist destination in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Illuminated kochia field in eastern Japan park

A field of kochia plants is lit up in various colors for the media at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 18, 2024, ahead of its special 10-day lighting event starting Sept. 27.

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Illuminated kochia field in eastern Japan park

A field of kochia plants is lit up in various colors for the media at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 18, 2024, ahead of its special 10-day lighting event starting Sept. 27.

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[Breaking News] Nemophila flowers in eastern Japan

HITACHINAKA, Japan, April 18 Kyodo - Nemophila flowers are in full bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 18, 2024. (Kyodo)

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Nemophila flowers in eastern Japan

Nemophila flowers are in full bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 18, 2024.

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Nemophila flowers in eastern Japan

Nemophila flowers are in full bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 18, 2024.

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Huge image of dragon laid out in Ibaraki Pref. park

A huge image of a dragon, made of pine cones and Kochia, is pictured on Dec. 21, 2023, from a Ferris wheel in Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, ahead of the 2024 year of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac.

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Reddening Kochia plants at eastern Japan park

Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2023, shows reddening Kochia plants at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Reddening Kochia plants at eastern Japan park

Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2023, shows reddening Kochia plants at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Nemophila flowers at seaside park in Japan

Nemophila flowers bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 14, 2023.

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Nemophila flowers at seaside park in Japan

Nemophila flowers bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 14, 2023.

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Nemophila flowers at seaside park in Japan

Nemophila flowers bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 14, 2023.

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Nemophila flowers at seaside park in Japan

Nemophila flowers bloom at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on April 14, 2023.

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New robot for Fukushima operation

MITO, Japan - Nuclear disaster operation robot ''JAEA-3'' is shown to reporters at the Nuclear Emergency Assistance & Training Center in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, on June 21, 2011. The remote-controlled robot will be used to measure radiation levels at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Fukushima Prefecture.

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Radiation screening at swimming beach

MITO, Japan - Personnel collect samples of seawater at a swimming beach in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, on June 7, 2011, to measure the radiation levels of the water in the wake of radiation leaks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in the neighboring prefecture of Fukushima. The Ibaraki prefectural government plans to screen beaches at 17 sites ahead of the opening of the beaches for this summer and the test results will be announced on its website later in the month.

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Radiation screening at swimming beach

MITO, Japan - An Ibaraki Prefecture official measures radiation levels of the surface of swimming beach sands in Hitachinaka in the prefecture on June 7, 2011, in the wake of radiation leaks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in the neighboring prefecture of Fukushima. The Ibaraki prefectural government plans to screen beaches at 17 sites ahead of the opening of the beaches for this summer and the test results will be announced on its website later in the month.

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Huge image of tiger laid out in Ibaraki Pref. national park

HITACHINAKA, Japan - A huge image of a tiger, made of pine cones, is laid out on Dec. 20, 2009, at the National Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, which visitors can view by riding on the park's Ferris wheel. The park asked visitors to collect fallen pine cones in the park and to put them in wooden frames laid out to depict a tiger in recognition of 2010 as the year of the tiger in the Eastern zodiac.

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Tourists given 'kochia' red carpet treatment

MITO, Japan - Tourists walk through some of the 30,000 kochia plants, most of which turn red, on a slope of Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, on Oct. 13, 2009. ''The ball-like shape of this plant is adorable. I feel as if I was in a picture book,'' said Chizuko Gemma, one of the visitors.

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Naoki Yasu 1st Japanese in European pro wheelchair basketball

TOKYO, Japan - Naoki Yasu will become the first Japanese person to play professional wheelchair basketball in Europe. Yasu, who turned 30 on Oct. 6, signed a contract with second-division Italian team Treviso in September and plans to join the team in time for the start of the basketball season in November. Born in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Yasu became wheelchair-bound when he was a second-year junior high school student and began basketball training in senior high school.

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Igawa kicks off preseason training

HITACHINAKA, Japan - Kei Igawa, who has signed a five-year contract with the New York Yankees, plays catch in preparation for his preseason training in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Jan. 12. (MLB)

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Igawa confident of doing well in majors

HITACHINAKA, Japan - Newly signed New York Yankees pitcher Kei Igawa speaks during a news conference in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Dec. 28. He said he is confident that he will do well in the major leagues.

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Orientation tours to farms proving popular

TOKYO, Japan - An instructor tells participants in an orientation tour to a farm in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, how to plant sweet potato.

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(2)Crown prince visits semiconductor plant

HITACHINAKA, Japan - Crown Prince Naruhito picks up a silicon wafer at a semiconductor plant in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, on June 17.

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(1)Crown prince visits semiconductor plant

HITACHINAKA, Japan - Crown Prince Naruhito (R), wearing dust-protective clothing, observes the semiconductor manufacturing process at a plant in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, on June 17.

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Freighter collides with Malaysian ship, 1 dead, 2 missing

MITO, Japan - The 7,633-ton Malaysian-flagged Thailine 6 suffered damage to its bow when it collided with the 498-ton Japanese freighter Shinwa Maru No. 8 off Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, on May 30. The Japanese vessel sank, leaving one of the four crew members on the freighter dead and two others missing, Japan Coast Guard officials said.

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Kochia at seaside park in eastern Japan

Photo taken on Aug. 28, 2022, shows kochia plants turning greenish color at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Kochia at seaside park in eastern Japan

Photo taken on Aug. 28, 2022, shows kochia plants turning greenish color at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Kochia at seaside park in eastern Japan

Photo taken on Aug. 28, 2022, shows kochia plants turning greenish color at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Seaside park in eastern Japan

Photo taken April 19, 2022, shows nemophila flowers blooming at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Seaside park in eastern Japan

Photo taken April 19, 2022, shows nemophila flowers blooming at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Preparation ahead of Year of Tiger in 2022

Photo shows a giant illustration of a tiger, made from colored Kochia plants and pine cones at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Dec. 20, 2021, ahead of the 2022 Year of Tiger in the Chinese zodiac.

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Kochia at seaside park in eastern Japan

Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2021, shows reddening kochia plants at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Kochia at seaside park in eastern Japan

Photo taken on Oct. 13, 2021, shows reddening kochia plants at Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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Naoki Yasu 1st Japanese in European pro wheelchair basketball

TOKYO, Japan - Naoki Yasu will become the first Japanese person to play professional wheelchair basketball in Europe. Yasu, who turned 30 on Oct. 6, signed a contract with second-division Italian team Treviso in September and plans to join the team in time for the start of the basketball season in November. Born in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki Prefecture, Yasu became wheelchair-bound when he was a second-year junior high school student and began basketball training in senior high school.