Admire Japan’s Colorful, Seasonal Flowers!
2024.03.13You can enjoy flowers in every season in Japan. Everyone knows about the famous cherry blossoms of spring, but there’s plenty more. Niigata Prefecture, with its rich natural beauty, offers many stunning locations where tulips, sunflowers, irises, and other flowers bloom in abundance. We’ll be introducing some of the best flower-viewing spots in Niigata that will soothe your soul and create the memories of a lifetime.
See 500,000 Sunflowers Bloom at the Tsunan Sunflower Field
The Tsunan Sunflower Field, located in Tsunan Town in the Nakauonuma District, boasts 500,000 sunflowers that bloom across a 4-hectare field. The field is divided into three sections where sunflowers bloom at different times, allowing visitors to enjoy their beauty for longer.
The best time to see them is typically from late July to mid-August when pop-up stalls line the field and a sunflower maze attracts crowds from all over the area. Bathed in the summer sun, the flowers grow as tall as adults and being surrounded by them feels like swimming in a sea of sunflowers. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy this spectacular summer sight!
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The best time to see them is typically from late July to mid-August when pop-up stalls line the field and a sunflower maze attracts crowds from all over the area. Bathed in the summer sun, the flowers grow as tall as adults and being surrounded by them feels like swimming in a sea of sunflowers. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy this spectacular summer sight!
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Take in the Sight of 180,000 Tulips in Full Bloom at Echigo Hillside Park!
Every year, Echigo Hillside Park in Nagaoka City holds a Tulip Festival from late April to early May. During it, 180,000 tulips of 84 varieties blanket a 3,000-square-meter hill inside the park, creating a mesmerizing sight!
The blooming period of the tulips is very long thanks to the park's selection of early-blooming and late-blooming varieties of flowers with a good color balance. The tulips are planted so densely that, when seen from afar, they look like a flowery carpet.
If you walk up the hill to see the tulips up close, you’ll quickly realize that they differ not only in color, but also in petal shape. Depending on the variety, some have round petals that open outwards while others have thin, pointed tips. Look around and find a variety that you like best!
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The blooming period of the tulips is very long thanks to the park's selection of early-blooming and late-blooming varieties of flowers with a good color balance. The tulips are planted so densely that, when seen from afar, they look like a flowery carpet.
If you walk up the hill to see the tulips up close, you’ll quickly realize that they differ not only in color, but also in petal shape. Depending on the variety, some have round petals that open outwards while others have thin, pointed tips. Look around and find a variety that you like best!
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Come See the 600,000 Irises of Ijimino Park!
Over 600,000 beautiful flowers of 300 varieties reach full bloom from mid-May to early June on the 1.8-hectare grounds of Ijimino Park in Shibata City.
The flowers may look very similar, but they’re all different varieties that bloom at different times, one after another. You have “ayame” irises that come to bloom in mid-May, “kakitsubata” irises in late May, and “hanashobu” irises from early June. This allows visitors to enjoy the flower display for much longer.
In mid-June, when the park is at its most gorgeous, the Shibata Ayame Festival is held here and the grounds are lit up with paper lanterns.
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The flowers may look very similar, but they’re all different varieties that bloom at different times, one after another. You have “ayame” irises that come to bloom in mid-May, “kakitsubata” irises in late May, and “hanashobu” irises from early June. This allows visitors to enjoy the flower display for much longer.
In mid-June, when the park is at its most gorgeous, the Shibata Ayame Festival is held here and the grounds are lit up with paper lanterns.
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Witness the Impressive 150-Year-Old Great Wisteria of the Northern Culture Museum and Ito Estate!
The Northern Culture Museum and Ito Estate in Niigata City teaches local culture and the history of the Ito family, once the largest landowners in Echigo (modern-day Niigata Prefecture). Its 29,000-square-meter grounds include the main residence, the tea house, the warehouse, and a Japanese-style garden whose beauty changes throughout the seasons. Also on the display are works of art collected by the former heads of the household.
The most popular sight at the Northern Culture Museum and Ito Estate in spring is the 150-year-old great wisteria with a trunk circumference of more than 160 centimeters. The light purple flowers, stretching over a 260-square-meter trellis, are incredibly beautiful! The wisteria’s blooming period is from late April to early May when a light up event is held at the garden.
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The most popular sight at the Northern Culture Museum and Ito Estate in spring is the 150-year-old great wisteria with a trunk circumference of more than 160 centimeters. The light purple flowers, stretching over a 260-square-meter trellis, are incredibly beautiful! The wisteria’s blooming period is from late April to early May when a light up event is held at the garden.
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Visit Negoya to Admire a Carpet of 200,000 Moss Pink Flowers in the Spring!
Negoya is a park in Uonuma City and a popular flower-viewing spot with approximately 200,000 moss pink blossoms covering an area of 1 hectare. Typically, the best time to view the flowers is mid-May when red, pink, and white moss variety blossoms spread out all over the park like a carpet of flowers. The view of the Three Mountains of Echigo with their lingering snow in the distance is also a highlight of Negoya and a breathtaking sight blending winter and spring landscapes, making the park a popular photo spot.
A festival celebrating the blooming of the moss pink blossoms is held at the park every year, attracting crowds of people. Stop by and admire these beautiful flowers unique to the snow country of Niigata.
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A festival celebrating the blooming of the moss pink blossoms is held at the park every year, attracting crowds of people. Stop by and admire these beautiful flowers unique to the snow country of Niigata.
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