A field of poppies in mid-May…

This is Hana no Umi, located in Sanyo-Onoda city, Yamaguchi prefecture.

There are pathways through the flower fields, which are located on reclaimed land that faces the Seto Inland Sea.

The sight of around 20 thousand poppies swaying in the wind looks like a masterpiece! The gradation created by the reds and pinks of the flowers is a splendid sight.

On clear, sunny days, the contrast between the poppies and the blue sky is just beautiful!

The cosmos field is also very popular. The best time to see that is from early to mid-November.

Strawberries are grown in large greenhouses that cover an area equivalent to 3 soccer fields, and you can eat as many as you want without any time restrictions! You can taste and compare different strawberry breeds.

The same goes for blueberries; you can eat as many as you want for as long as you want. They are filled with anthocyanin, which is good for the eyes.

There is also a course available for making handmade sweets.

The vegetable harvest experience is popular as well. Harvestable vegetables change according to season, of course, but you can collect and take home as much as you can fit in your bag.

We also recommend the combined stone oven pizza making and vegetable-harvesting course, where you top a pizza with some of the vegetables collected and bake it in a stone oven.

Making a pizza using vegetables you’ve picked with your own hands is an invaluable experience you might remember for the rest of your life!

In one corner of the flower field and farm, there’s a café where you can enjoy soft serve ice cream and carefully prepared light meals.

The various types of flower seedlings cultivated within the greenhouses are sold to flower shops and home centers all over Japan, and there is also a direct sales corner.

While the new type of agricultural entertainment facilities offer a wide variety of experiences such as harvesting fruit and vegetables as well as making pizza, at Hana no Umi you can enjoy vast flower fields with poppies, sunflowers, cosmos and other flowers in full bloom along with the changing of the seasons!

Hana no Umi
Location: 3392 Habu, Sanyo-Onoda city, Yamaguchi prefecture

Guide Homepage: http://www.hana-umi.com/ (Japanese)
Blooming seasons: mid-May until late May (poppies), late July through mid August (sun flowers), early November through mid November (cosmos)
Admission: Free of charge

Season: June 15th-end of August

Admission: JPY1000-JPY1900 (several courses available)

Season: Late November-end of May

Admission: JPY900-JPY1300 (fees change according to the time period and day of the week)

Season: All year round on Saturdays, Sundays & National holidays (reservation required)

Admission: JPY1950 (courses with different fees available for elementary school students & infants)
Setouchi Finder Photo-writer: Hironobu Matsuoka