Five Flower-Viewing Day Trips from Tokyo You’ll Love in Spring
Today I want to share my top 5 flower-viewing day trips to do from Tokyo in spring. I am a big flower lover, and I am always enjoying sharing flower-related events, walks and day trips in Japan. I thought I’d share my top picks for flower-viewing spots, from February to May, that can all easily be enjoyed as day trips from central Tokyo.
I have covered each of this day trips in previous blog articles, that you can also read for more details.
1/ Plum Blossom Festival at Soga Plum Grove, Odawara
Soga Plum Grove
I’ll start this list of spring flowering viewing spots with an event that you may say is not technically in spring, as it takes place in February. Nevertheless, as plum blossoms are a symbol of hope and renewal signaling the arrival of spring, I feel like they deserve a spot in this article.
Let me introduce the Soga Plum Festival, my favorite Ume matsuri (plum blossom festival) near Tokyo. The festival is held every February to celebrate the blossoming of 35,000 plum trees. And if you visit the grove on a sunny day, you'll also be able to admire a breathtaking landscape of plum trees in bloom with Mount Fuji in the background! Located in the north-eastern part of Odawara, it is easily reached by train from central Tokyo in over an hour.
Access: From Shinagawa station, take a local train going to Atami on the Ueno-Tokyo line or Tokaido line and change at Kozu station to take a train on the Gotemba line to Shimo-Suga station.
If you're interested, you can find more information on my blog post: Amazing Plum Blossoms Near Tokyo: the Soga Plum Festival.
2/ Cherry Blossoms and Tulips at Showa Kinen Park, Tachikawa
If I could only recommend one place to see the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, Showa Kinen Park (国営昭和記念公園) in Tachikawa (立川市) would be my recommendation. Not only are there many cherry trees in the park, but they also bloom at the same time as rapeseed and tulips, from late March to early April, transforming the park into a breathtaking floral paradise. With its wide spaces and 1500 cherry trees, it is the perfect destination to picnic and do hanami (花見), or “flower viewing”.
Access: Take the JR Chuo line from central Tokyo (Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station) to Tachikawa station and walk 15 minutes to the entrance of the park.
You can read more details about my favorite sakura spots in Showa Kinen Park and practical information to prepare your visit in my blog post: The Best Cherry Blossom and Tulip Park Near Tokyo: Showa Kinen Park.
If you are planning to visit Japan during the sakura period, you may be interested in my detailed guide to Tokyo during the cherry blossom season : My Favorite Places to See Cherry Blossom in Tokyo.
3/ Nemophila Paradise at Hitachi Seaside Park
Hitachi Seaside Park (ひたち海浜公園) is a spacious park located in Ibaraki Prefecture, known in Japan for its seasonal flowers. In spring, from mid-April to early May, you can walk through an ocean of blue flowers: a field of over 5 million nemophila. Walking through this hill of nemophila, I felt like I was in a fairytale!
What’s more, there are plenty of things to do in Hitachi Seaside Park.The park also features a small amusement park, several cycling and walking trails, a large open field… making it a perfect nature outing day trip from Tokyo. The park is easily accessible from central Tokyo in about 2 hours by train.
Access: The fastest option is to take the JR Hitachi and Tokiwa limited express train from Shinagawa, Tokyo or Ueno station until Katsuta station and take a bus to the park.
For more information about this awe-inspiring destination, you can read my articles:
4/ Spring Celebration during the Yearly Garden Necklace Yokohama Event
Yokohama (横浜市) is probably the easiest day trip you can do from Tokyo. But did you know that from March to June, Yokohama's parks and gardens celebrate spring with impressive flower displays, from cherry blossom to tulips, roses, azaleas and much more, as part of the yearly event called 'Garden Necklace Yokohama' (ガーデンネックレス横浜)?
Organized in 23 locations across 7 venues in Yokohama, it is a fun and colourful way to explore this city in spring.
Access: Take the Toyoko/Minatomirai line from Tokyo and get off at Motomachi-Chukagai station if you would like to go to Yamashita Park and walk around the port area.
If you want to see more of this event, and perhaps would like to follow my walking itinerary in Yokohama harbour for this occasion, you can read my blog post: Garden Necklace Yokohama: A Colourful Springtime Stroll Through Yokohama Harbour.
5/ Majestic Wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park
My final pick in terms of flower-viewing destinations near Tokyo in spring is Ashikaga Flower Park (あしかがフラワーパーク). Located in Tochigi Prefecture, this park is renowned for the splendour of its breathtaking wisteria, which bloom between mid-April and mid-May. At the same time, you can also admire magnificent azaleas, peonies and other spring flowers, arranged in superb displays. Ashikaga Flower Park is ideal if you want to spend your day in a floral paradise, where, as well as admiring the flowers, you can also buy plants and flower-related products or food.
Access: Take a local or express train or shinkansen from central Tokyo to Oyama station and change to the Ryomo line to Ashikawa Flower Park station.
You can read more in my article: A Day Trip to Ashikaga Flower Park from Tokyo: Things to Do and How to Get There.
To Conclude
I hope to share with you many more ideas for flower day trips. I find that being close to flowers brings so many benefits, as a source of relaxation, creativity and joy. When I was living in Japan, I started being always on the lookout for flowers, which has helped me to become more aware and appreciative of the changing seasons. The attention paid to nature and flowers is very strong in Japan, which is something I particularly love about this country, and this translates into fantastic places to admire the flowers in season.
