Japan's four distinct seasons keep the landscape ever-changing and blooming all year round
The cherry blossom (sakura) is one of the most iconic symbols when you think of Japan. It is the country's most famous flower and a telltale sign of spring. But did you know there are lots of other types of stunning flora, each marking their time with a specific season? You can visit parks with vast carpets of seasonal flowers and partake in immersive and photogenic experiences all year round.
Enjoy a memorable day out exploring all of the floral beauty and rich nature Japan has to offer.
Spring
Spring is an eagerly awaited season, with its warmer weather and the arrival of many popular flowers blooming.
Peach trees mark the arrival of spring in Toyota City of Aichi. Experience breathtaking views on a kilometer-long stretch filled with weeping peach trees, dyeing the landscape with white, red, and pink hues.
If you are looking to see some tulips, Tonami Tulip Park in Toyama boasts 3 million bulbs in a variety of colors and landscapes. You can also visit Grinpa Amusem*nt Park that has a sea of 200,000 tulips and the iconic Mt. Fuji as the backdrop, which makes for a great photo op. If you’re seeking a little more of a thrill, head to Nagasaki's Shimabara Hibaruyama Flower Park. Here you'll see a myriad of flowers like sakura and nanohana blossoms.
Hitachi Seaside Park boasts many different colorful flowers year-round. Still, CNN has praised the blues of spring's nemophila flowers against the sea and sky background. Purple, blue, and white wisteria tunnels will surround you for over 100 meters in the Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden.
Summer
With the mixture of the rainy season and the rising temperatures, many different types of flowers flourish over the summer in Japan.
The beginning of summer is the best time to see hydrangeas (ajisai). They look splendid in the tranquil atmosphere of temple gardens when they are in full bloom. Hasedera Temple in Kanagawa and Hattori Hydrangea House in Chiba are both great places to see them. During the peak of summer, you can witness the Joetsu Lotus Festival in Niigata, where one of the most out-of-this-world displays of lotus flowers emerge from the pond. It is one of the most substantial lotus ponds in the world and is sure to make anyone feel enchanted.
The sunflower is known as the “Flower of Summer.” If you're road-tripping through Hokkaido, stop and admire two million of these bright yellow blooms at Hokuryu Sunflower Village. Fragrant lavender is Hokkaido's signature flower on the opposite side of the color spectrum. Peaking in July, Farm Tomita offers a vivid display of purple lavender, poppies, bright green ferns, and white birch trees that makes for a pleasant stroll.
If you can’t make it out of the city, there is no need to worry. You can often see morning glory growing in the front gardens of many traditional Japanese homes.
Fall
Fall is a notable change of season as farmers start to harvest rice fields and many new flowers grow.
A telltale sign of autumn is the bloom of cosmos. In early to mid-October, you can witness a million cosmos flowers of different colors dancing in the wind at Tonami Yumenotaira Cosmos Flowers in Toyama. Another spot where you can see cosmos, along with a myriad of other flowers all year long, is the Ikoma-Kogen Flower Station. These beautiful scenes are partnered with seasonal events like fireworks and musical performances.
For a distinctly autumn mood, fireweeds are known for their bright red shade, and 32,000 of them beautifully paint the field of Hitachi Seaside Park in the fall.
Winter
It can be hard to imagine bright flowers during Japan's coldest months, but don't let the weather fool you.
Camellias bring color to the middle of a harsh winter. The camellia is a flower native to Japan and places such as Goto in Nagasaki are famous for it. The oil extracted from its seeds is often used for cosmetics. The flower also plays a crucial role in Akira Kurosawa's movie, "Tsubaki Sanjuro." On another island that was featured in a number of the old Godzilla movies, you can participate in the Izu Oshima camellia festival. During this festival, more than three million pink camellia flowers are in bloom across the island, and there are various festivities that everyone partakes in.
The weather is still crisp, but the arrival of plum blossoms in mid-February to early March means spring and cherry blossoms are on the way. Sometimes mistaken for sakura in appearance, the aroma of these flowers is intoxicating. If you’re looking to catch some of these lovely pink blossoms not too far from Tokyo, the Mito Plum Blossom Festival at Kairakuen Garden in Ibaraki is one of the best places to see them.
There are no bounds to the botanical destinations in Japan at any time of year. From temples to mountain trails, and perfectly manicured gardens to parks, every prefecture has something to offer.
