Many people associate Hokkaido with beautiful landscapes and gardens, but Tokachi stands out as an area packed to bursting with gardens that showcase the best of Hokkaido. Flower lovers and garden enthusiasts from all around flock to Tokachi every year.
And now that the long winter is finally over, spring has also arrived in Tokachi! With the gardens being some way from the city center, a dusting of snow remains, but that snow will melt away before long. As we move into April, staffs at the gardens are busy preparing to open to the public.
We’d now like to introduce you to “Shichiku Garden”, famous for having over 2,500 varieties of flowers that bloom throughout the year.
In winter, the bulbs are left to the forces of nature, as they calmly await the spring
When we visited Shichiku Garden on March 20th, this is how much snow was left. It was piled so high that you would never have guessed that, just a month later, so many beautiful flowers would be blooming.
At Shichiku Garden, the staff put in a lot of effort to make visitors enjoy the natural beauty of the garden throughout the year. They don’t put any protective wrapping round the plants, even when the snowy season approaches.
When the garden closes for the season, the staff are busy themselves planting bulbs for the coming spring right up until the first snow falls. When the snow does fall, they leave the bulbs to the forces of nature, and wait for the season when the snow melts.
The beautiful spring is almost here!
When we visited on the April 9th, much of the snow had gone, and the ground was now visible. We also spotted some staffs clearing away the dead leaves in preparation for the public opening.
A few flowers, like these crocuses, had even started to bloom. Crocuses blossom early and wilt early, so every year, the staff here make sure to place the remaining snow on the crocus beds so that visitors can enjoy them for as long as possible.
When spring arrives, the garden has a spectacular sight!
This year, Shichiku Garden opens to the public on April 18th. One of the staff told us that they find it strange that, no matter how long the snow takes to melt, the flowers never fail to bloom beautifully for the opening day.
In early spring the garden is filled with an abundance of tulips and daffodils, ready to give visitors a spectacular welcome. Springtime in this beautiful garden is almost here.
Make sure to come and say hello to Grandma Shichiku- she’s the one who created this beautiful flower garden that seems like it has just come out of a storybook!
<Shichiku Garden>
– Address: 107, Nishi line 4, Misakaecho, Obihiroshi, Hokkaido.
– Opening period:
15th April ~ 30th November. (Opening period may differ from year to year)
– Opening hours: 08:00 ~ 18:00
– Admission fee: Adult 800 yen (group discount: 700 yen, more than 10 people)
Children (6 to 14 yrs old) 200 yen (group discount: 150 yen, more than 10 people)
NB- Annual pass: Adult 1,000 yen, Children 200 yen
There are plenty more gardens in Tokachi!
Rokka-no Mori
In this forest of wild grasses and flowers that look just like the illustrations on the wrapping of Rokkatei’s famous confectionery, visitors can enjoy a different side to the garden depending on the season.
The photo below shows the forest in May. The riverbank is like a painting, positively buried in buttercups. The forest itself is dotted with reconstructed old cottages, and visitors can admire some of the unfinished works of local painter Naoyuki Sakamoto.
The garden is also popular for its unique souvenirs that your friends might even be a little jealous of, such as its flower-patterned pencils.
<Rokka-no-Mori>
– Address: 249-6, Nishi line 3, Tokiwa, Nakasatsunai-chou, Hokkaido.
– Opening period:
April 28th ~ May 31st, September 1st ~ September 24th: 10:00 ~ 17:00
June 1st ~ August 31st: 09:00 ~ 17:00
September 25th ~ October 15th: 10:00 ~ 16:00
– Admission fee:
Adult 800 yen (group discount: 600 yen, more than 20 people)
Children (6 to 14) 500 yen (group discount: 300 yen, more than 20 peopl)
NB. Annual pass: Adult 1,500 yen, Children 1,000 yen
Manabe Garden
In its vast 20,000 acre grounds, Manabe Garden boasts both traditional Japanese gardens and European gardens, so you can enjoy Japanese and Western gardens all in one place.
Known as Japan’s first ever conifer garden, there are plenty of rare and unusual conifers to be found here. It may be a mere 15 minute car ride from Obihiro station, but visitors will be happy to discover a place where they can get a real sense of the majesty of nature.
Visitors will also find waterfalls and streams here. Indeed, Manabe Garden is such a soothing place, that, before you know it, you’ll find yourself wanting to sit back and take a big, deep breath.
<Manabe Garden>
– Address: 6, Higashi line 2, Ina-chou, Obihiro-shi Hokkaido.
– Opening period:
24th April ~ the end of November (Opening period may differ from year to year)
– Opening hours:
08:00 ~ 19:00 (NB. Admittance is available until 18:00, between June and August)
08:00 ~ sunset (regular season except for Jun to Aug)
– Admission fee:
Adult 800 yen (group discount: 600 yen, more than 20 people)
Children (6 to 14) 200 yen
NB. Annual pass: Adult 1,800 yen, Children 500 yen
Tokachi Sennen-no Mori
The garden that was awarded a “Most Beautiful Garden” prize in the UK. Located in the foothills of the Hidaka Mountains, its grounds cover a whopping 400 hectares. With the incredible views from the top of the hill, and the beauty of Tokachi’s flowering grasses on display, this is the kind of garden that you might want to take your time to explore.
Tokachi Sennen-no Mori is home to a family of goats, and visitors have the chance to see the garden’s cutest inhabitants up close and in person. Another popular activitiy is a Segway lesson.
<Tokachi Sennen-no Mori : Tokachi Millennium Forest >
– Address: Minami 10-sen, Haobi, Shimizu, Hokkaido.
– Opening period:
29th April to 15th October (Opening period may differ from year to year)
– Opening hours:
09:30 ~ 17:00 (4/29 ~ 6/30), 09:00 ~ 17:00 (7/1 ~ 8/30), 9/1 ~ 10/15 (09:30 ~ 16:00)
– Admission fee:
Adult 1,000 yen (group discount: 800 yen, more than 10 people)
Children (6 to 14) 500 yen (group discount: 400 yen, more than 10 people)
Tokachi Hills
This garden is located on a hill from which you can gaze across the whole of Obihiro. Tokachi Hills is a garden where you can get a real sense of Tokachi’s “farming and food” by appreciating the flowers and leaves of the vegetables and herbs grown onsite.
The garden is also popular for its restaurant headed-up by a Hungarian chef, where visitors can enjoy a menu that makes use of vegetables and herbs picked fresh from the garden.
<Tokachi hills>
– Address: 13-5, Makubetsu-cho, Nakagawa-gun, Hokkaido.
– Opening date: 22th April (Opening date may differ from year to year)
– Opening hours: 09:00 ~ 18:00
– Admission fee:
Adult 800 yen, Adolescent(12 to 17) 400 yen, Children(less than primary schoolchild) Free of charge
As you can see, Tokachi has many wonderful gardens that each have their own unique charms. This spring and summer, make sure to come and enjoy a little moment of relaxation, surrounded by flowers in the abundant nature of Tokachi!
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