Hanamiyama Park (花見山公園)

A beautiful park located right in the heart of Fukushima city. A beauty of Hanamiyama park is considerably famous since villagers who dwell on this hill have come together to plant more than 30 species of flower. Various species of flower have blossom out in the same time in Spring, especially, Some Yoshino Sakura are in full bloom which its color would alternate with the colors of Peach, Plum, Magnolia, Camellia, Forsythia and Nanohana flowers, this make the entire hill tinged with beautiful colors that this area has been named as a flower valley of Fukushima city.

I have travelled to Hanamiyama Park on 17 April 2017.

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Fukushima is Japan's third largest city. The city's area covers the Pacific costal area and spread deep into the plateau in the northeastern part of the country which makes Fukushima full of various natural attractions that considerably famous which includes history attraction, mountain and hot spring, and places to admire leaves change color.

In addition to being a famous fruit source of the country, in Spring, Fukushima also has many famous places for admiring Sakura and one of them would be Hanamiyama park (花見山公園).

Although "Park" is used to describe this place, but in fact, the Hanamiyama park is a private area where flowers and ornamental plants are planted on Satoyama hill, which this private area is belong to Abe Ichiro. However, since the owner Mr. Abe is a kindness person and would like to let other people to visit and take some rest in this flower garden, thus, he has opened Hanamiyama park to be like a park for outsiders as well as tourists to come and fully appreciate the beauty of the garden free of charge.

The beauty of Hanamiyama park is so popular because many villagers who live on this hill have come together to plant more than 30 kinds of ornamental plants.Various species of flower have blossom out in the same time in Spring, especially, Some Yoshino Sakura are in full bloom which its color would alternate with the colors of Peach, Plum, Magnolia, Camellia, Forsythia and Nanohana flowers, this make the entire hill tinged with beautiful colors that this area has been named as a flower valley of Fukushima city.

Hanamiyama park is full of flower for visitor to admire throughout April till the beginning of May and the most beautiful period of this park would be during the mid of April (during Thai's Songkran festival) as it is the period that various species of flowers and Some Yoshino Sakura are in full bloom in the same time on the hill.

This set of pictures I took on 17/04/2017 (If you would like to admire the beauty view and take the refreshing nice atmosphere, I suggest you guys to visit this park during the mid till end of April)

Sakura blossoms information at Hanamiyama park (especially Someiyoshino Sakura)

Start blooming on 12 April 2017

Full bloom on 17 April 2017

Start to fall on 20 April 2017

Getting there:

Take Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo station and get off at Fukushima station which spend 01.30 hour. Then from Fukushima station, take East Exit and walk to get on a bus at no.6 bus stop (the number of bus stop might be changed each year, thus, you guys should ask the driver before get on the bus every time). Moreover, during Sakura festival, there will be a shuttle bus service riding to-from Fukushima - Hanamiyama Park.

The first round of the bus will depart at 09.00am and the last bus would be 15.30pm. For the return trip, the first bus will depart 10.00am and last bus is 16.30pm and it takes approximately 15 minutes riding which costs 250 yen for adult, 130 yen for children per round.

First part from the bus stop to the entrance of Hanamiyama park would be a rather long distance walkway and on both sides of the road, there are lots of flowers and cherry trees to see along the way.

Located in the front are shops and restaurants that sells general foods such as Fried Pork Sandwich mixd with Sakura in it, Yakisoba, Fried Sausage, Oden, Bento Set, Taiyaki snack which was made from flour mixd with Pink Sakura. Visit Hanamiyama Park, visitor not only could admire a beauty of flowers but also could taste authentic local food.

From restaurant zone, walk a little further, you will reach the entrance which there would be the information center located in this area and there are officers who are volunteers available in giving information about this place. And most importantly, the flower field in this area is spectacular.

The park has a report on the flower situation indicating what flowers are blooming today and how much they are blooming. It is because there are many kinds of flowers alternately and gradually bloom one after another.

I took a walk in the park on 17 April 2017 and according to the information timetable there, it is reported that Someiyoshino Sakura is in a full bloom at this moment as well as other 9 species of flowers are also in full bloom as well.

Hanamiyama park would have 3 adjacent routes up to the hill to watch the scenery above which are 30 minutes course, 45 minutes course and 60 minutes course. Visitor would enter the park from the entrance in the below area and gradually climb up on the hill until reaching at the scenic point at the above area, then walk back down to the below area in another side. The scenery above is pretty beautiful which you could see the Fukushima city in the below area with Azuma mountain as a background. Moreover, climbing up to admire the scenery above, you should manage the time well as if you get down late, you might miss the last round bus (04.30pm).