Ashikaga Flower Park (あしかがフラワーパーク), located in Tochigi Prefecture, is an enchanting day trip from Tokyo that I recommend to flower lovers like me, especially in spring when you can admire the splendour of its breathtaking wisteria.

If you are looking for a place to to surround yourself with colourful flowers for a day, then you should consider this destination. I was captivated by this place and in this article, I would like to share with you why and give you useful information to plan your own visit.

Best Things to Do in Ashikaga Flower Park

1/ Explore the Park and Activate your Photo Mode

The Ashikaga Flower Park features all kinds of seasonal flowers throughout the year, as well as illuminations in winter, making it an excellent day trip in any season.

However, the most popular time to visit the park is between mid-April and mid-May, during the wisteria season. The 100,000 square meters park has over 350 wisteria plants, including three large wisteria plants stretching on a 1,000 square meters space, which are listed as a natural monument by Tochigi Prefecture, and a 160 year old giant wisteria.

I visited the park in mid-May when the wisteria season was almost over, as you can see from my photos, but was still fascinated by the majestic wisteria trees and the other floral landscapes.

2/ Enjoy Flower Food and Other Japanese Snacks

Japan is well-known for its food, and in this regard, the Ashikaga Flower Park should not disappoint you. Indeed, a visit to this park will give you the opportunity to enjoy flowers flavours you have probably never tried before, such as wisteria ice cream! There are also several food stalls and restaurants in the park, so you can have lunch right in the park and enjoy Japanese street food like yakisoba or agemochi...

3/ Shop for Flowers, Wisteria Products and Much More

The shop at the main entrance/exit of the park is quite large, with several types of flowers, plants and small trees for sale, as well as flower-flavoured food souvenirs (or omiyage in Japanese) and other local products.

But what I didn't expect, and was very pleased to discover, was that the shop had a large selection of Ghibli-related items, including large and small flower pots! As a huge Ghibli fan, this was heaven, but a bit of a disaster for my wallet...

When to Visit Ashikaga Flower Park

The park is open all year round and is particularly popular from mid-April to mid-May during the wisteria season. Be aware that it can be very busy at this time of year so it is best to get there early, especially on weekends.

On the park’s website, the year is divided into eight main periods to visit the park according to the flowering time of the different types of flowers:

1. Early January to Late February: Pheasant’s eye, Christmas rose, Winter Clematis

2. Early March to Mid April: Tulips, Crocus, Thunberg’s meadowsweet

3. Mid April to Mid May: Wisteria, Azalea, Peony

4. Mid May to Early June: Rose, Rhododendron, Clematis

5. Early June to Early July: Iris, Hydrangea, Late blooming Clematis

6. Early July to Late September: Lantana, Tropical water lilies

7. Early October to Late November: Mexican bush sage, Pansies

8. End of October to Late January: Festive illuminations, Pansies, Violas

When would you prefer to visit?

How to Get There

From central Tokyo, Ashikaga Flower Park is about 1.5 hours by car and 2 to 2.5 hours by train.

There are several options if you opt for the train. On my visit, I took what seemed to be the cheapest (but longest) option: from Shinjuku station, take the Shonan-Shinjuku line to Oyama station and change to the Ryomo line to Ashikawa Flower Park station, for a total journey of about 2.5 hours for ¥1,980.

But there are other options if you are travelling from Tokyo or Ueno stations, for example, and you can go faster if you take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen, or if you prefer a cheaper option, the Utsunomiya line to Oyama station.

Ashikaga Flower Park Information

Opening hours: The usual opening hours are between 10 am and 5 pm. However, in April and May, opening hours are extended and night visits are possible to enjoy the illuminations.You can check this page for more information.

Price: From ¥1000 to ¥2,200 (depending on the event).

To Conclude

If you’ve missed the cherry blossoms and want to see other floral sights (or if you're just a flower addict like me) near Tokyo, Ashikaga Flower Park is a great idea for a day trip!

Would you add the Ashikaga Flower Park to your Japan travel bucket list in spring?

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This article was originally published on April 28 2023 and updated on April 29 2024.

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