During springtime, everyone in Japan wants to see the cherry blossoms. However, there are numerous spots where you can enjoy many other beautiful flowers year round. This time we’re going to introduce a selection of spots you’ll want to visit when you’re in the Seto Inland Sea area! The timeless edition!

Gakujin no Mori : A Paradise with Masses of Rare Alpine Plants!

Kamiyama, Myozai district, Tokushima prefecture.

In the deep mountains of this area abundant with nature, there is a place referred to as “the paradise for alpine plants”. The Shikoku mountains botanical garden of Gakujin no Mori is located in the middle of nowhere at 1000 meters above sea level.
Designated as an endangered species in Japan, both the Primula kisoana var. shikokiana and the fringed iris are among other rare plants grow here en masse.

In the early morning, the scenery is especially magical! 

Japan has more than just cherry blossoms!!

In this article we introduce a paradise with various alpine plants.

The flowers vary according to season, so we recommend checking the garden’s homepage before visiting. (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/590)

Japan’s No.1 Wisteria Festival @ Fuji Park!

Fuji Park is located in the town of Wake, in Wake district, Okayama prefecture. Situated near a river in the midst of a mountain valley, the park hosts a myriad of well-known wisteria varieties from all over Japan. Believe it or not, it is home to around 100, which makes it the country’s No.1 in terms of number of wisteria varieties gathered in one place. 

Look at this gradation! The abundance of variety is what brings out this kind of beauty!
The best season for wisteria viewing is from late April to early May. (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/508/)

Kawanoe Castle: A Warring Ages Castle Surrounded by Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom!

During cherry blossom season you can see the scene below!! Come spring, the Shiroyama Park Sakura Festival is held and the cherry blossom trees are lit up, and the park is bustling with events, tea parties and live concerts!

Cherry blossom viewing backdropped by the castle is a true luxury! I wonder if this is the same sight admired in olden times… Enjoy your hearts fill of cherry blossom viewing in the style of the lords! (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/399)

Go See the Moss Phlox @ Kamu no Sato Rokutan, Our Recommended View for the Spring Holidays!!

Located in Sera, Sera district, Hiroshima prefecture, Kamu no Sato Rokutan is a park bursting with moss phlox. In springtime, 800,000 moss phlox flowers bloom vividly on a hill stretching over an area of 50,000 square meters.

It’s hard to find places where you can see moss phlox on this scale! The best time for viewing is in May around the Japanese Golden Week holidays. (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/501)

Kintai Bridge & Iwakuni Castle: The Place for Cherry Blossom Viewing in the Chugoku Region! (Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture)

Kintai Bridge is a wooden arch bridge built over Nishiki River, which flows through Iwakuni city. In addition to the bridge being counted among the Three Most Famous Bridges in Japan, the location has also been selected among one of Japan’s top 100 locations for cherry blossom viewing. 

Admire the blossoms together with a historical building… This sight just makes me feel so happy I was born Japanese!

Kintai Bridge is one of Japan’s most famous bridges. If you’re thinking about visiting, how about going during the cherry blossom season? It’s hard to find a combination as luxurious as this! (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/543)

Flower Park Urashima: Admire a Sea of Marguerites Together with Islands Floating in the Seto Inland Sea (Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture)

Located in Mitoyo city, Kagawa prefecture, Flower Park Urashima was created in the agricultural area of Shonai peninsula, an area dotted with famous places related to the Urashima legend.

This vast field of marguerites is a delightful spot where you can take beautiful photographs backdropped by Seto Inland Sea islands floating in the background! (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/583)

A 1000 Year Old Cherry Tree! / Daigozakura (Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture)

Daigozakura is an enormous cherry tree that is said to be over 1000 years old. Standing alone on top of a hill in the midst of a tranquil mountainside area, its bold upright stature is really impressive. It has even been selected among Japan’s top 100 famous trees. When it’s in full bloom, which has been around April 10th in previous years, the area bustles with flower viewers.

With a 1000 years of history behind it, this cherry tree truly is enormous! Its majestic appearance makes you sigh…

Although roadside cherry trees are of course beautiful, this tree blooming alone is truly marvelous. (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/541)

The Super Popular Sightseeing Spot along the Chugoku Yamanami Highway! See the Field of 85 Thousand Tulips!

Connecting Hiroshima and Shimane, the Chugoku Yamanami Highway was fully opened in March 2015. During Golden Week, the Japanese spring holidays, many people take this route on their way to leisure, so here’s our recommended spot along the highway!!

It’s Sera Kogen Farm, which has 850 thousand tulips in full bloom!!

One shot of  yourself sitting in a flower field is something almost every girl would like to experience! And a lovely tulip field like this is just perfect for it! (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/506)

‘Glimpse 20 Thousand Plum Trees’!Searching for Beautiful Spring Scenery  Backdropped by the Sea @ Mt. Ayabe! !

The plum tree forest on Mt. Ayabe in Banshu (the old name for the Hyogo area) is among the largest plum flower viewing spots in west Japan. Delighting fans of both white and red plum flowers, twenty thousand trees in 10 different varieties have been planted here over a total area of 24 hectares. 

No matter where you look on the slope, it’s all plums, plums and more plums. This view must be the reason the forest is said to be the place to enjoy a ” Glimpse of 20 Thousand Plum Trees”. 

Although cherry blossoms are wonderful, so are plum blossoms and it’s hard to find a spot where you  can admire so many different varieties all at once. The ‘Glimpse of 20 Thousand Trees’ is also a spot popular with amateur photographers. (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/3247)

Walk in the Amazing Scenery with Sea & Five Million Daffodils ! Nadakuroiwa Suisenkyou (Awaji City, Hyogo Prefecture)

At Narakuroiwa Suisenkyou, located in the southern part of Awaji Island, you can find wild daffodils growing on a large area. On a steep slope facing the sea there are around 5 million grow thickly. The spot is counted among one of the three largest areas for wild daffodils in Japan. 

5 million!! Catch the white and golden yellow daffodils backdropped by the great blue sea and sky! Another wonderful sight is the daffodils combined with the setting sun! (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/3243)

Blessings of the Sea & Land, and Flowers. Roadside Station Kasaoka Bay Farm, Where Locals Gather  / Kasaoka (Okayama)

 
At the westernmost tip of Okayama prefecture on the border of Hiroshima prefecture, you can find the amazing Roadside Station Kasaoka Bay Farm, located within Kasaoka city.

During spring you can see rapeseed blossoms, in early summer poppies, in mid-summer sunflowers, and in autumn cosmos flowers. A camera is an absolute must!

And although the flower field is wonderful, the gourmet dishes offered at the station are even more amazing. Check out our article for more info. (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/3251)

Colorful Cosmos Field on the Bank of Muko River

Every autumn, a field of cosmos appears on the Muko River bank, which flows in the southeastern part of Hyogo prefecture. Eleven years ago, a volunteer group of local residents that call themselves the “Committee for Making Beard Crossing Bloom” got together to prettify the once unkempt riverbank. Every year at the end of August, around 150 volunteers participate in preparing the soil, sowing the seeds, watering the plants, weeding, and patrolling, among other tasks. 

A spot where you can enjoy cosmos in various colors in the autumn, huge thanks goes to all the volunteers. (setouchifinder.com/en/detail/363)

Amazing Sight! 20,000 Rapeseed Flowers in Bloom on the Suiha Plateau!

Rapeseed blossom spreading in one direction… From mid-April to early May the Suiha plateau in eastern Ehime prefecture is covered with 20,000 rapeseed flowers.

“The evening sun fades out, on the rapeseed flower field
Looking over the mountain, the mist rises from the edges.
The spring breeze blows lightly and as I look at the sky,
the evening moon rises within this light fragrance.”

In this style, fields of rapeseed blossoms are even depicted in traditional Japanese songs such as Oborozukiyo. This is truly a traditional Japanese landscape. (https://setouchifinder.com/en/detail/538)

 
How did you like our selection?

There are numerous wonderful flower viewing places like this within the Seto Inland Sea area! As the best times for viewing are at different seasons throughout the year, be sure to check blooming seasons before making travel plans!