After leaving Sawada Spring Water Nature House, to be truthful, I wasn’t sure where to go next. Should I go right, should I go left?
I actually went right and realized, it was a dead end.
Because I went in December, the blue nemophila flowers or tulips were not evident. But looking at the hill from the side and seeing the gardeners planting, just imagining the area full of flowers is quite exciting. You can see how this hill looks like when the flowers are in full bloom in April.
So, I went left and followed the road path which went on for about 10 minutes and then I noticed I was near Miharashi no Oka Hill. While I was in the side path, not the main path, I was still walking on the road path which was soon becoming more of a dirt path.
But then I saw signs pointing to Miharashi Plaza, I realize I was nearby the traditional home area. I saw a rest area with bathrooms and seating but not an area that I wanted to sit down and rest at.
As I continued to walk, I came upon the traditional homes in the Miharashi area.
When you arrive, you will find two homes built in the 1700’s. To my surprise, there are people who maintain the area, farm the area and cook in the area.
I was welcomed by a woman and two men and one spoke in English but for the most part, I communicated in Japanese and was impressed with the food and drinks they gave me. They told me the vegetables planted outside were daikon. And noticed the sweet potatoes, something Ibaraki is known for and those were delicious.
The interiors of the place didn’t have much in there and some areas, you couldn’t venture into. But you did see the stove and cooking area and for the most part, it’s cool to see some of the traditional hardware still being used inside the homes.
But it’s not the same vibe as I had at Iyashi no Sato, which is a more larger village of traditional Japanese homes, but even with two homes, it’s cool to have something like this near Miharashi no Oka Hill.
As I left the village and went to the entrance of Miharashi no Oka Hill, I felt a bit sad that I wasn’t able to see this hill in its beautiful form.
But there was a part of me that felt happy that I finally made it to this area, to walk on the path and to see it with my own eyes. I may have not seen the flowers but I did see the workers getting it setup for spring 2018 when the flowers grow in full bloom through the fall.
And with the clouds and blue sky, I just took in the overall landscape and told myself, “I will be back”.
On to the next area, which I will discuss in Part 5.
The One about Hitachi Seaside Park Part 1
The One about Hitachi Seaside Park Part 2
The One about Hitachi Seaside Park Part 3
