The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside National Government Park – A sacred place for rosarians

In Japan, where the four seasons are distinctly marked, there are many gardens that attract attention from around the world for their lush landscapes, wide range of plants, and technical skills in making flowers bloom beautifully. Across the country, there are many blooming spots that impress visitors.
Let us guide you to breathtaking tourist gardens that you should visit at least once in your lifetime. This time, we would like to introduce The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside Park National Government Park(hereafter “Echigo Hillside Park”), a sacred place for rosarians.

Enjoy the Fragrance of Roses at “The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside National Government Park”

The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside Park is a rose garden with approximately 2,400 roses of 800 varieties planted on a 16,000 m2(approx.4ac.) site. As its name suggests, the theme of the planting is “the fragrance of roses.” Rose fragrances are mainly classified as “Damask Modern,” “Damask Classic,” “Tea,” “Fruity,” “Spicy,” “Blue,” and “Myrrh. Roses corresponding to these fragrances are planted in seven designated areas. The roses are cultivated to bloom at about face level, allowing visitors to freely compare their scents and let’s discover their personal favorites.The best time to see roses is from the end of May to mid-June, and October.

In addition, the garden features a variety of attractions, including a colorful area where roses are planted by color, such as white, pink, vermilion, red, and yellow. There is also a section dedicated to wild species and old roses, as well as an area showcasing Japan’s native wild roses, including Otakane-bara, Yamaibara, Azumaibara, and Terihanoibara.

Another highlight is the collection of Hall of Fame roses recognized by the World Rose Convention, which includes rose societies from about 40 countries worldwide. Visitors can also enjoy an area featuring award-winning roses from various competitions and a natural garden where roses are beautifully combined with perennials.

The planting techniques of roses are truly remarkable!

This area features five varieties of pink roses—‘The Garland, ‘Francis E. Lester,’ ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk,’ ‘Rosa Helenae,’ and ‘Rosa Filipes’—planted and trained into a garland shape, where they bloom dynamically and beautifully.

While they are stunning in full bloom, these roses are once-blooming and produce red rose hips of various sizes after flowering.

In late autumn, the scene transforms into a beautiful display of rose hips, resembling delicate ornaments.

By the way, the pink rose in the foreground is the old rose ‘Belle Isis.’

The poplar trees in the background are symbolic of The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside Park. The unique appearance of the poplar tree, with bamboo built around it and rambler-type vine roses set up as obelisks, looks like a large topiary when seen from a distance.

In the open space at the front, there is a resting area with 20 sets of tables and chairs (the number may vary depending on the season). Visitors are free to bring your own food and drink, and it is common to see people spreading out their lunch boxes while enjoying the view of the roses. Smoking is prohibited(there are designated smoking areas), and pets are welcome.

This area features a series of arches, each 3 meters(approx.10ft.) high and wide, elegantly adorned with roses to create a stunning vertical display. Visitors can freely stroll through the tunnel of arching roses, including Scepter’d Isle, Constance Spry, Evelyn, and Falstaff, while immersing themselves in a shower of delightful fragrances.

This is a natural garden where not only roses but also perennials such as Veronica, Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine), and Ajuga are planted together. The harmonious coordination of roses and other flowering plants serves as an inspiring reference for your own garden design.

This area features a collection of fragrant roses, which are trained and kept at a lower height to make their scent easier to enjoy.

The photo above shows a section planted with roses that have the scents of “Damask Modern” and “Damask Classic.” The fragrance of roses is stronger in the morning when the buds open, so if you want to enjoy comparing their scents, it’s best to visit in the early hours of the morning.

The bright red rose in the foreground is Papa Meilland.

In this area, 1.5-meter-tall(approx.1.5ft.-tall) obelisks are arranged in a fan shape to showcase the roses as a unified display. This distinctive method is unique to the “Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside Nat’l Gov. Park.”

Among them, the popular variety Pierre de Ronsard is trained to climb upward from the ground, and its profusely blooming appearance is truly impressive.

In addition to the rose garden, Echigo Hillside Park is planted with flowers that bloom throughout the seasons, offering plenty to see year-round. From late March to April, you can enjoy Christmas roses, snowdrops, and dogtooth violets; from late April to early May, tulips; from late June to July, hydrangeas and lavender; and from September to October, cosmos, allowing you to experience a relay of seasonal blooms.

Additionally, at The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside Park, you can observe unique training and pruning methods that are suited to the climate of the Sea of Japan side of the country, which is another highlight.
Gardening books in bookstores are often compiled based on the Pacific Ocean side climate and tend to lack information on management methods suited to the climate of the Sea of Japan side. For those living on the snowy Sea of Japan side, participating in tour guides or workshops to learn tips for growing roses healthily is a good option.
 
Various events are scheduled to be held in 2025. Check the official website!
https://echigo-park.jp

Visit the fields where the competition entries are displayed!

The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside Park has held the “The International Fragrant Rose Trials” annually since 2005, and it has become one of Japan’s three major rose competitions. Rose seedlings sent from around the world are cultivated in the same conditions over a period of two years, and are comprehensively judged on factors such as fragrance, flower beauty, and disease resistance.

Judging takes place in the spring and autumn of the second year, with gold, silver, and bronze medals being awarded. The variety with the highest score among the gold medal winners receives the “Minister of Land and Transport Award,” the variety with the highest score in the fragrance category receives the “Niigata Prefectural Governor’s Award,” and the variety that wins first place in the popular vote by general visitors receives the “Nagaoka City Mayor’s Award.”

In the first competition, the rose in the above photo won the “Minister of Land and Transport Award.”

This rose was created by breeder Kikuo Teranishi.

To commemorate this award, the rose’s name was changed from the original Tiny Grace to Fragrant Hill, which is named after “The Fragrant Rose Garden at the Echigo Hillside Park”.

Today, this rose has become a symbolic flower of the park.

Visitors can also tour the competition fields in the park, where they can see roses that have not yet been released to the public, offering a glimpse into the latest trends.

Rose soft serve ice cream and original perfumes are popular

It is also recommended to enjoy tea time at the Rose Cafe, a casual resting spot in the park. The cafe is open from 9:30 AM until closing (hours vary by season), with the last call taken 30 minutes before closing time.

The menu changes with the seasons, offering items like pancakes and hot dogs. Popular menu items include Yukimuro coffee for 450 yen (tax included), vegetable smoothie with mashed strawberries for 600 yen (tax included), and red rose soft serve ice cream with the sweet aroma of roses for 500 yen (tax included, only during the Rose Festival).

In May, during the rose season, the garden plans to sell a perfume made from fragrance extracts of its roses at the gift shop. However, please confirm this with the garden.

Information

The Fragrant Rose Garden at Echigo Hillside Park
 
Address: 1950-1Azamitsumata MiyamotoHigashikatamachi Nagaoka-shi, Niigata/Japan

Call: 0258-47-8001
https://echigo-park.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/echigo_english_2024_web.pdf


Access: Approximately 10 minutes from the Kanetsu Expressway Nagaoka IC.
　　　　　About 40 minutes from JR Nagaoka Station : take the bus from the Oteguchi 6th stop (heading to “New Town / Echigo Hillside Park”)
 
Rose Garden Opening Season:
　April to November
 *The park is open year round (closed once a month from April to October, every Monday from January to March, if Monday is a public holiday, it will be closed the following day, November to December requires inquiry).
 
Opening Hours:
April to October 9:00-17:00/ November to March 9:00-16:30
 
Admission Fees:
Adults: 450 yen
Seniors(65 and over): 210 yen
Free for junior high school students and younger.
 
 
Parking Fees:
 Standard Vehicle: 320yen
Moped / Motorcycle: 100yen
Large vehicles (buses, etc.): 1,030yen
* Parking fees are waived from December to March when admission is free.