With summer quickly approaching, colorful flowers will soon be carpeting Nagano’s fields and hillsides. Cherry blossoms disappeared in a flash this year, and Iiyama’s Nanohana flowers come almost a week earlier than expected, but there are still plenty of other flowers to enjoy in the coming months.

1. Wisteria in Kokubunji Shiseki Park

This park in Ueda City was once the location of Kokubunji Temple. Vestiges of the original temple, such as some of its stone pavers and foundations, remain, and a 120-year-old trellis of wisteria blooms here every May. It spans an impressive area of 500m2 with delicate vines of light-purple flowers. The park is just a few minutes away from Shinano Kokubunji Station (just a 3-minute train ride from Ueda).

Details

〈Viewing Period〉
Mid to Late May
〈Price〉
Free
〈Access〉
By car, 10 minutes from the Joshin’etsu Expressway Ueda Sugadaira IC exit. By train/bus, a 3-minute walk from Shinano Kokubunji Station.

2. Lavender at Hotel Tangram

Around 1 million lavender stalks sway in the breeze on the hill by Hotel Tangram in Northern Nagano. In mid-July, Tangram also opens a lily garden on the higher reaches of the resort. There are outdoor activities for adults and children alike, including mountain biking and zipline rides. For beautiful views of nearby Lake Nojiri and Mt. Myoko, take a trip to the top of Tangram and visit the Nojiri Terrace.

Details

〈Viewing Period〉
Early July to Early August
〈Hours〉
9:00 to 16:00
〈Price〉
Lavender Garden: Free
Lily Garden: Adults 1,200 yen, Children 500 yen
〈Access〉
By car, 20 minutes from the Joshin’etsu Expressway Shinano-machi IC exit. By train/bus, 30 minutes by bus from Kurohime Station.

3. Lilies in Hakuba Iwatake

Hakuba Iwatake becomes an outdoor garden during summer when over 2 million lilies cover the base and top of the resort. While enjoying cool breezes at over 1,200m altitudes, you can walk along trails through the gardens and forests of white beech trees.

Iwatake has recently developed its own mountain biking trails and has five courses suitable for people of all ability levels.

Details

〈Viewing Period〉
Early July to Late August
〈Hours〉
8:30 to 17:00
〈Price〉
Entrance & Lift Fee: Adults 1,800 yen, Children 1,000 yen
〈Access〉
By car, 60 minutes from the Joshin’etsu Expressway Nagano IC exit. By train/bus, 80 minutes by Hakuba line bus from Nagano Station.

4. Day Lilies in Kurumayama Kogen Skypark

The grassy highlands of Kirigamine Kogen are covered in bright-yellow day lilies during July. The Kurumayama Kogen Skypark offers lifts to the top of Mt. Kurumayama (1,925m) where you can see panoramic views of the flowering hills below, as well as the Japanese Alps and Mt. Fuji!

The resort can be found along the Venus Line, Nagano’s premier driving route which connects the prefecture’s central highlands. Other stops along the route include Lake Shirakaba, the Yashima Wetlands, and the Utsukushigahara Open-Air Art Museum. (See a map of the Venus Line and rental car locations here).

Details

〈Viewing Period〉
July
〈Hours〉
9:00 to 16:00
〈Price〉
Roundtrip lift: Adults 1,600 yen, Children 1,000 yen
〈Access〉
By car, 40 minutes from the Chuo Expressway Suwa IC exit. By train/bus, a 2-hour bus ride from JR Chino Station (get off at Kurumayama Kogen bus stop).

5. Zinnia at Fujimi Kogen Resort

Fujimi Kogen Resort at the base of the Yatsugatake Mountains is a hidden gem for flower and garden enthusiasts. Over 1 million zinnias cover the lower section of the resort and are illuminated at night from late July to mid August. Golf carts and ski lifts make access easy for people of all ages. At the top of the resort, there are gardens with highland flowers, outdoor sculptures, and beautiful views of the surrounding mountains–including Mt. Fuji!

Details

〈Viewing Period〉
Mid July to Late September
〈Price〉
Entrance: Adults 1,100 yen, Children 700 yen
Roundtrip Sky Lift: 550 yen per person
Sky Cart: 2,100 yen per cart
Flower Cart: 800 per person
〈Access〉
By car, 8 min. from the Chuo Expressway Kobuchisawa IC exit. By train/bus, a 24-minute bus ride from JR Kobuchisawa Station.

6. Cosmos at Kurohime Kogen

At the foot of Mt. Kurohime (2,053m), over 1 million cosmos flowers carpet the grounds of the local ski resort. One of the lifts runs during the viewing season so visitors can enjoy the flowers from above.

Details

〈Viewing Period〉
September to Early October
〈Hours〉
9:00 to 17:00 (lift until 16:00)
〈Price〉
Entrance: Adults 600 yen, Children 400 yen
Lift: Adults 800 yen, Children 600 yen
Combo pass: Adults 1,300 yen, Children 900 yen
〈Access〉
By car, 5 minutes from the Joshin’etsu Expressway Shinano-machi IC exit. By train/bus, a 10-minute bus ride from Kurohime Station.

7. Soba Flowers in Togakushi

Togakushi is famous for its soba noodles. The high altitude and arid soil of the area is perfect for growing buckwheat, and in September, delicate white flowers bloom throughout Togakushi’s buckwheat fields. Near the Tonkururin Soba Museum is an especially picturesque field of buckwheat backed by the precipitous Togakushi mountain range. Just a 10-minute walk from the museum, you can enjoy the views and then return to the museum for a soba-making lesson.

Details

〈Viewing
Period〉Early September to Mid September
〈Price〉
Free
〈Access〉
By car, 60 minutes from the Joshin’etsu Nagano IC exit, or 45 minutes from the Joshin’etsu Expressway Shinano-machi IC exit. By train/bus, 57 minutes by Togakushi bus from Nagano Station (get off at the Soba Museum Tonkururin stop), then a 10-minute walk.

Additional Information

Want to learn more about flowers and gardens around Nagano? Take our look at some of our other flower-themed blog posts below:

Yatsugatake Hachimaki Resort Bus

Select Dates in 2019 (See Below*)
Original Timetable Here