Hanamiyama Park

Hanamiyama Park is a nationally renowned flower spot in the Watari district of Fukushima City. It became widely known when the late Shotaro Akiyama, one of Japan’s leading photographers, praised it as “a utopia in Fukushima,” visited year after year to take photographs, and introduced it to people across the country. Within the park and its surroundings, flower-tree fields, streams, and the original rural landscape of satoyama carefully nurtured over generations by flower-tree farmers spread out before visitors and captivate all who come.

The park began when the Abe family, which shifted from sericulture to flower-tree cultivation from the Taisho era through the early Showa period, cleared the scrub forest in front of their home and planted flowers there. Wanting many people to enjoy its beauty, they opened the fields to the public in 1959, and since then it has been cherished as one of Fukushima’s leading sightseeing destinations.

In spring, about 70 kinds of flowers, including plum blossoms, Tokaizakura cherry blossoms, Higan cherry blossoms, Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, forsythia, quince, peach blossoms, and magnolias, bloom in succession with slight timing differences. The entire mountain is dyed in soft pinks and yellows, creating a truly spectacular scene of blossoms in full profusion. Because of the many varieties, the best viewing season lasts from late March to late April, allowing visitors to enjoy different expressions depending on when they come. At the foot of the mountain, canola flowers planted by local elementary school students also add color.

From the summit, visitors can look out over Fukushima City, while also enjoying the flowers against the magnificent backdrop of the Azuma and Adatara mountain ranges. In early spring, the lingering snow on Mt. Azuma-Kofuji forms the shape known as the “Snow Rabbit of Azuma,” and the contrast with the flowers delights visitors.

The park features walking routes of 30, 45, and 60 minutes, allowing visitors to enjoy Hanamiyama’s scenery according to their stamina and schedule. It is also possible to stroll while listening to explanations from volunteer guides known as “Fukushima Hana Annai-nin,” offering a deeper understanding of the flowers’ charm.

The scenery of Hanamiyama Park, a symbol of Fukushima’s spring, is truly a “utopia.” Surrounded by a patchwork of colorful flowers, visitors can spend a dreamlike moment there. Today, many tourists from both Japan and abroad visit, and it has become a sightseeing destination that Fukushima City proudly presents to the nation.