あしかがフラワーパーク
Ashikaga Flower Park is a flower theme park established in 1997 in Ashikaga, Tochigi. The park is renowned for its hundreds of wisteria, with the most famous being the 150-year-old “Hazama no Fuji (迫間のフジ),” which spreads over more than 1,000 square meters. Other wisteria are formed into tunnels up to 80 meters long which guests can pass through, a half dome resembling an orchestra shell, and walls which serve as backdrops for floral tableaux.
Wisteria illumination
The highlight of the year comes from mid-April through May with the blooming of the wisteria. The park remains open until 9 p.m. during the season and illuminates the wisteria in the evening to create a colorful fantasy in the dusk. The park can be very crowded at this season, particularly during the Golden Week holidays, and visitors should expect some waiting in line for parking spaces and admission.
Year-round events
To provide a beautiful and interesting experience throughout the year, Ashikaga Flower Park marks “Eight Floral Seasons” such as “Spring Flower Festival” and “Water Nymphs (Water Lilies)”. The basic details of the seasons are available at the park’s English page, but the full details are given in Japanese only.
Other types of flowers at the park include Christmas rose, tulips, crocus, azaleas, hydrangea, sage and pansies.
Admission and access
The park is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with longer hours for some events such as the wisteria illumination. The admission price varies with the season and the condition of the flowers. At the peak it is ¥1,700 for adults and ¥800 for children. Check the website for details. Ashikaga Flower Park is about a 13-minute walk from the Tomita station (100 minutes from Tokyo via the Keihin Tohoku and JR Ryomo lines). Additional access information is available on the park’s website.
