Autumn in Japan: Cosmos is Turning the Fields PINK!

We mostly associate the colors yellow, red, and orange with autumn. However, in October, some fields in Japan turn pink, and all thanks to cosmos!

When I was living in Tohoku and Kanto, I never really paid attention to the flowers. I would usually see them in my neighbor’s garden or sprouting in random fields.  However, I recently became an active “flower hunter" and as the weather gets colder, I used to become sad because I wouldn't be able to see that many blossoms anymore. Then, I saw some pictures on Instagram about cosmos fields and they were so stunning! I googled places in and near to Fukuoka where I can see cosmos fields--- I found 2 spots!

Toyoura Cosmos Festival

Toyoura Refresh Park is the first place I found. It is just an hour away from where I live and I read that around 1 million cosmos flowers grow there. I was excited, but at the same time I didn’t want to have high expectations because I didn’t want to be disappointed.

When my husband and I arrived at the park there were a lot of people, so I told myself I won’t be able to take beautiful photos. But, as we got closer to the cosmos field, I was surprised by how wide it was. It felt like Disneyland for me because it was so pretty and although there were many people, it wasn’t crowded!  Visitors could still adhere to social distancing and there were many spots where I could take photos!

We only stayed there for an hour because it was quite hot and we wanted to rest after just a short time. But I had a good time and it made me want to see more cosmos.

Deets:

Toyoura Refresh Park 

Address:

2035-9 Toyiuracho Oaza Kawatana, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, 759-6301

Nearest Train Station:

Kawatana Onsen Station, from there you need to walk for about 30 minutes.

Entrance Fee:

200 yen

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

After seeing the cosmos at Toyoura, I wanted to visit Fukuoka’s popular flower spot, which is Uminonakamichi Seaside Park.

This park grows various seasonal flowers and in October they have a wide cosmos field, which is not only pink but also orange and yellow!

I always wanted to visit Uminonakamichi Seaside Park, but because of the state of emergency I couldn’t. I was quite disappointed because I missed a lot of its beautiful spring and summer flowers. I thought I won’t be able to go there because it’s already autumn. But thank goodness the state of emergency was lifted and I was able to see Fukuoka’s stunning cosmos field before winter hits.

When my husband and I visited Uminonakamichi Seaside Park, just like Toyoura Refresh Park, there were a lot of people but it’s wide so social distancing was not a problem. Plus, there were many great spots to take photos without any "photobombers" or other bothersome visitors.

We stayed here for about 2 hours. We took our time and we just took a rest under the trees. You can have a picnic here, just make sure to clean up before you leave.

Deets:

Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

Address:

18-25 Saitozaki, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka, 811-0321

Nearest Train Station:

Uminonakamichi Station, from there you need to walk for about a minute.

Entrance Fee:

450 yen

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