Ashikaga Flower Park: Mysterious Wisterias Abound

Though I have gained a greater appreciation of nature, and all of God’s creatures over the past few years, I’m not the type to really go out of my way to see something along those lines.  After all, even in the urban Kanto plain you are never really that far from nature, right?

For my lover’s passion and interest though, on a Saturday morning in May we ventured out to Ashikaga-Shi, in Tochigi prefecture, to see what the hysteria over Wisteria was all about.

Ashikaga flower park had been recommended to me by a few friends, but those friends’ interests run a bit differently from mine... so the idea had hit a dead end until this year, about three years since I’d first heard of it.

Well, I really enjoyed it!  Not as much as other things I tend to enjoy, but still, it was a breath of fresh air to be out in a more natural setting.  The flower park is well thought out in both appearance and egress.

If you like water, there is a lot of it to see and it complements the flowers quite beautifully.

But the main attraction was the wisteria, and it didn’t disappoint.  It was my first time to see this type of flower/plant and my camera had more than its fill of image work on those wisteria.


Aside from the main attraction(s) of the park, I will also mention that the food is worth the visit as well!  The ramen is a different variety that that found in the Kanto plains, and gyoza in Tochigi prefecture (especially Utsunomiya) is wonderful.  Ashikaga will definitely not disappoint, and leave you in awe of all creations of god and man alike.

Recommendations:

- Be prepared to walk!  Even if you opt to drive or take a bus tour to get there instead of using the train system, to see/taste all that is good here you'll be walking to get to it.  Wear shoes you're comfortable with for walking a lot.

- Keep an eye out on the weather.  As the flower park is entirely outdoors, plan accordingly with regards to forecasts of rain.

Specifics:
Ashikaga Flower Park
Admission: Varies by time of year and age (see website if specifics costs are needed)
Location: