Cherry blossoms might be top of mind for springtime visitors to the Land of the rising Sun, but there are more stunning flora to admire.

Wisteria, plum blossoms, tulips, and nemophila (baby blue eyes) are among the blooms that create a kaleidoscopic spectacle for tourists.

After a recent trip to the National Hitachi Seaside Park — perhaps Ibaraki’s most famous tourist destination for its Instagram-friendly fields of flowers — Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica Yasuhiro Atsumi and his wife Tomoko, unveiled spring with a hanami (flower viewing party).

Neverending Nemophilas

“We visited the National Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture.

There is a place called Nemophila Hill, where about 4.5 million Nemophila flowers are in full bloom! In English, it is called Nemophila menziesii, or baby blue eyes. The beautiful and fantastic sight is referred to as the world’s most spectacular view,” Atsumi tells SO2.

Nemophilas are bright-blue, five-petalled, bowl-shaped flowers with white centres.

Wisteria paradise

“We also went to Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture to see the wisteria flowers, which were in full bloom and at their best!

“At night, they are lit up and become fantastically beautiful,” they add.

Wisteria, a gorgeous climber that produces cascades of fragrant purple or white flowers in late spring. Many of the trees are protected and celebrated in Japan. While difficult to find in central Tokyo, you’re sure to see them at Ashikaga Park, an expansive 23-acre fantasyland of petals and plants. It’s one hour away from Tokyo, making it the perfect place for a hanami. The park is home to more than 350 wisterias, including varieties of purple, blue, white, and pink. An annual festival from April 13 to May 19 celebrates them with LED illumination events at night.

In January 2014, CNN’s travel staff selected Ashikaga Flower Park as one of ‘10 Dream Destinations in the World for 2014’.

Ashikaga Flower Garden (Japan)

Space travel to James Cameron’s Pandora in Avatar would be ideal, but until that becomes possible, the Ashikaga Flower Park is a close second on the dream destinations list. Eighty kilometres from Tokyo, the park offers an other-worldly experience – its 143-year-old wisteria looks nearly identical to Avatar’s spiritual Tree of Souls, with purple flowers cascading to the ground.

The fairy-tale experience continues with vibrant wisteria trellises extending for a 1,000 square metres.

Others species, such as the rare Golden Chain, dangle in full bloom along dreamy tunnels.