Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture

In May my parents from Germany visited me in Tokyo and we did some day trips from the hotel they stayed at. One day we visited the Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture. 

From Tokyo to Ashikaga Flower Park it takes about 2-3 hours depending on whether you use the Shinkansen or local train. Recently a separate train station for Ashikaga Flower Park was opened and the park is really easy to access from there. It's just a few minutes to walk. However, the frequency of trains is not that high so it might a good idea to check the time table in advance.

An interesting aspect of the park is that the entrance fee is different every day -- it will be decided in the morning depending on the current status of the flowers. You can check the official park website. At 7 AM the fee for the day will be announced. There are two different types of tickets -- a day ticket and a night ticket. The night ticket is a little cheaper and you can enjoy the light up in the evening.

Ashikaga Flower Park is especially famous for Japanese wisteria. The park has a huge wisteria tunnel where you can enjoy walking below it and take nice pictures. However, the wisteria blooms at the end of April, most of the time, so when we visited it was basically over. 

Nevertheless, the park is still worth a visit in May when most of the roses there are in bloom.  They are very pretty to look at as well. There are a lot of different kinds of roses that come in different colors. Also, do not forget to enjoy the smell of the flowers as well. 

When it comes to food Ashikaga Flower Park offers regular yakisoba, french fries, and karaage at different restaurants all over the grounds. However, when it comes to sweets there is a highlight that you can only enjoy in the flower park.

The famous creamery Cold Stone has created two types of ice creams especially for the flower park.  One is wisteria flavor and the other is rose flavor. The ice cream bars are very nicely decorated with flowers and are not only great for photos but also taste really good. 600 yen per piece is not exactly cheap but if you visit the park, I think you should definitely try the Cold Stone ice. A lot of Instagram likes are guaranteed if you take a nice picture.

The park is quite huge so you can spend a few hours there. You will find benches and other places to rest at various spots so you can enjoy the flowers at your own pace. If your schedule allows staying until the evening, you can enjoy the beautiful illuminations. 

Although the main attraction of the park is the Japanese wisteria I enjoyed our trip a lot because the park has a lot more to offer. Also, as the wisteria blooming collides with the Golden Week, you can enjoy the park with fewer people if you visit it a little later.