Gardens & Shops

Sera Kogen Farm: An Unforgettable Experience in a Breathtaking Flower Field

Experience the Harmony of Nature inVast, Spectacular Flower Fields Located in the highlands of Hiroshima Prefecture, Sera Kogen Farm is open to the public for limited periods across four seasons. Originally, the farm produced leaf tobacco, but when production was scaled down, sunflowers were planted in 1994 to prevent the fields from falling into disuse. As the mass-planted sunflowers blooming all at once spread by word of mouth, the number of visitors steadily increased. This sparked ongoing improvements year after year, transforming the site into a highly popular flower tourism farm where blooms flourish throughout the seasons, complemented by a variety of restaurants and shops. Covering an area of 150,000 square meters(about 37 acres), Sera Kogen Farm is expansive enough to take about one and a half to two hours to explore at a leisurely pace. Each season features mass plantings of different flowers—cherry blossoms and tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, and dahlias in autumn—creating breathtaking, large-scale landscapes. To prevent soil depletion from repeated use of the same areas, plantings are rotated annually, ensuring a different floral landscape unfolds each year. The farm’s designs and plantings are all created by the dedicated staff themselves. Each year, their ideas—sparked by questions like “What can we do to surprise visitors this time?”—continue to evolve with a spirit of hospitality, drawing many repeat visitors back to the farm. During the event periods, a variety of activities are offered, including pressed-flower crafts and wind chime painting workshops. For families with children, it’s an ideal destination for a full day of fun. Cherry Blossoms, Tulips, Sunflowers, and DahliasA Winning Strategy: Opening Only at Peak Bloom The Sakura Festival takes place from early to mid-April, when the cherry blossoms are at their peak. About 800 cherry trees across 10 varieties blanket the entire park in shades of pink. Since bringing your own food is allowed, visitors can spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy cherry-blossom viewing. During the same period, other flowers such as hyacinths, grape hyacinths (muscari), daffodils, pansies, snow willow (Spiraea), and forsythia are also in bloom. The Tulip Festival runs from mid-April to mid-May. The spectacular scenery, created by 750,000 tulips across 300 varieties, is truly breathtaking. With new color schemes and designs introduced each year, many fans look forward to the arrival of spring. By combining early- and late-blooming tulips, the displays are carefully planned to extend the viewing period. During the festival, children who find a four-leaf clover in the park will receive a small gift (available to holders of a children’s admission ticket). From early to late August, the Sunflower Festival takes place as 1.1 million sunflowers representing 50 varieties reach their peak. Each area is planted according to a specific theme, featuring mass plantings of varieties that grow up to two meters tall, a “sample garden” showcasing rare types, a section dedicated to red sunflowers, and a maze created from double-flowered sunflowers. Visitors can also step into the sunflower fields to take photos from within the blooms. There is also an observation deck offering a panoramic view of the sunflower fields, with a photogenic exterior that makes it especially appealing. Photo spots are set up throughout the flower fields as well, so be sure to take some memorable pictures. During the Obon holiday period only, a “Sunflower Tower”—decorated with fresh sunflowers and standing about four meters tall—is also installed. During the Sunflower Festival, blue salvia also comes into its peak season. Around 30,000 plants are in bloom, their slender flower spikes rising gracefully and adding a refreshing touch of color that creates a striking contrast with the sunflowers. The blue salvia continues to bloom for a long period until the Dahlia Festival held in autumn. The autumn Dahlia Festival runs from mid-September to late October. Featuring a collection of around 550 varieties—on a scale comparable to a trade fair—the festival showcases 7,500 dahlia plants in bloom. Dahlias come in a wide range of forms, sizes, and plant heights, making it fun to search for your personal favorites. There is also a special area dedicated exclusively to newly developed varieties, offering a glimpse into the latest dahlia trends. An Autumn Harvest Festival That Connects Visitors with the LandEnjoy Hands-On Craft Workshops Throughout the Festival The Harvest Festival (a.k.a. the Daikon Festival) is held in late October or on the first weekend of November. Visitors can take part in radish harvesting for 100 yen per daikon, with the variety ‘Yakusha Yokocho’, which grows to an impressive average weight of about 2.5 kilograms. Be sure to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. The event is limited to 20,000 radishes over two days, and there is no limit per person. A rice cake–pounding event is also held, and free oden is served to 1,000 participants, making it a lively and generous celebration of the season. At Sera Kogen Farm, pressed-flower craft workshops are available whenever the farm is open. No advance reservation is required—simply ask the staff at Flower Cafe counter to sign up. Information Sera Kogen Farm Address: 1124-11 Beppaku, Sera-cho, Sera-gun, Hiroshima/ Japan Call: +81-(0) 847-24-0014 Official Website:https://sera.ne.jp/en/ Access:Approximately 15 minutes (about 12 km) from Sera IC on the Sanyo Expressway Open Periods:•Sakura Festival: Early–mid April•Tulip Festival: Mid April–mid May•Sunflower Festival: Early–late August•Dahlia Festival: Mid September–late October•Harvest Festival (Daikon Festival): Late October or the first weekend of November Opening Hours:・9:00–17:00Hours may be extended to 8:00-18:00 during major holiday periods. Admission:•Adults: 500-1200 yen•Children (ages 4–elementary school): 300-600 yenAdmission fees vary depending on bloom conditions and festival schedules. Please check the website below for details.https://sera.ne.jp/en/fees-schedule/ Parking:1,000 spaces (free)

The Hiroshima Botanical Garden―Discover the 400-Year-Old Baobab!

Don’t Miss Conservatories Filled With Lush Tropical Life!Outdoor Gardens Brimming With Seasonal Highlights Opened in 1976, The Hiroshima Botanical Garden has a long history. It was developed as an urban park with the goal of providing a relaxing space for everyone. Spanning 18.3 hectares(45.2ac), the grounds are large enough to take about three hours to walk through at a leisurely pace. Inside the garden, visitors can enjoy viewing approximately 10,000 plant species and about 200,000 individual plants. During winter, the highlight is definitely the garden’s extensive conservatories. These include ・Main Conservatory・Cactus Displayhouse・Exhibition House・Tropical Water Lily Displayhouse・Begonia Displayhouse・Fuchsia Displayhouse・Cultivation Conservatory covering a total of 3,923 m²(nearly 1 acre).  The Main Conservatory alone is home to about 700 species and roughly 5,000 individual plants, displayed across four sections based on their ecology and growing environments. A standout feature is the largest Australian baobab in Japan, located in the Main Conservatory. Its trunk reaches about 2 meters in diameter and is estimated to be 400 years old. In August–September 2019, it bloomed for the first time since being introduced and became only the second example of flowering in Japan. Since then, it has flowered every year during the same period. Meanwhile, outdoors, attractions such as the Main Flower Bed, Cascade, Lawn Plaza, Phylogenetic Garden, Japanese Garden, and Forest Observation Garden create captivating scenes in each distinct area. In spring, highlights include plum, cherry, azalea, rhododendron, rose, and wisteria; in summer, iris and hydrangea; and in autumn, cosmos, autumn roses, chrysanthemums, and the vibrant foliage of deciduous trees. Visitors can enjoy plants from around the world throughout the year, making it a perfect place to relax and find a moment of tranquility no matter when you visit. At The Hiroshima City Botanical Garden, events are held regularly, including guided tours of the plants, workshops on how to grow and care for them, and craft-making sessions. Since the grounds are quite spacious, let's also check out the rest areas. There are two spots in the park: “Mori no Cafe” and “Mori no Restaurant”. “Mori no Cafe” stands out with its log-cabin-style exterior. Even in the Dead of Winter, the Conservatory Bursts with Life!Let the Colorful Tropical Blooms Soothe Your Soul As mentioned earlier, the conservatories at The Hiroshima Botanical Garden are well-equipped. In the Begonia Displayhouse shown in the photo, around 680 varieties and 2,000 begonia plants are on display. The large, luxurious tuberous begonias were developed from wild species native to the Andes Mountains and are renowned as some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. Begonias prefer temperatures between 15°C and 25°C and long-day conditions (extended daylight). In the Begonia Displayhouse, air conditioning is used in summer and heating in winter. Nighttime lighting is also provided to control blooming, allowing visitors to enjoy tuberous begonias year-round. The photo shows the Cactus Displayhouse, which houses around 500 plants of 320 species. The largest cactus in this conservatory is estimated to be over 60 years old. A highlight is Kisoutengai, a plant that spends its entire life with just two leaves. Its seaweed-like leaves continue to grow and stretch indefinitely. In its native Africa, some specimens are said to be over a thousand years old. The Pseudobombax is deciduous, yet its trunk contains chlorophyll, allowing it to perform photosynthesis even without leaves. The Mokukirin (also called Konohasaboten) may look like a bougainvillea at first glance, but it is actually a cactus. It produces beautiful flowers in October and November. The Outdoor Gardens: Highlights Shift with the Seasons At The Hiroshima Botanical Garden, plum trees are not only found in the Plum Garden but also throughout the Japanese Garden, with the best viewing season from February to March. The Plum Garden features around 170 trees of 50 varieties, offering an early glimpse of spring. The photo shows a weeping plum tree in the Japanese Garden, with its impressive branches creating a striking presence! This photo shows the Main Flower Bed near the main gate, around April. At this time, tulips, begonias, poppies, and other flowers are in full bloom. This area is primarily an annual flowerbed, which is replanted five to six times a year, allowing visitors to enjoy different scenes each season.  Every spring, the garden hosts the Sakura Festival, featuring concerts, craft workshops, and special food stalls for strolling and tasting seasonal treats. On some days, the garden is open at night, making it a perfect spot for evening cherry blossom viewing. The rose garden at The Hiroshima Botanical Garden is at its best from mid-May to mid-June and mid-October to early November. It features around 1,000 rose plants of approximately 700 varieties. The garden places special emphasis on historically significant old varieties and heirloom roses. Many valuable types are showcased and preserved for future generations. In addition, it features rose varieties born in Hiroshima, plants donated from cities around the world as messages of peace, and other varieties connected to Hiroshima’s identity as an International City of Peace and Culture, as well as wild species collected from around the globe. In May, the garden also hosts the Rose Festival, featuring cultivation workshops, mini-lectures on roses, craft corners, and guided tours of the rose garden. The Iris Garden in the park is at its best in June. Visitors can enjoy the vibrant display of around 1,000 iris plants of 100 varieties in full bloom. In June, when the irises are at their peak, the hydrangeas are also in full bloom, with around 1,900 plants of 140 varieties. During this period, the garden hosts the Iris & Hydrangea Festival, featuring demonstrations on growing irises and hydrangeas, guided tours of the garden, tea ceremonies, and many other enjoyable activities. From early to late November, the garden is adorned with autumn foliage. In the Maple Garden and Japanese Garden, visitors can enjoy the vibrant colors of various maple species.  In the Woodland Observation Garden, both the evergreen broadleaf trees of lowland western Japan and the deciduous broadleaf trees of higher elevations can be admired in full autumn hues, all in one place.  In Addition, the garden features impressive autumn displays of the world’s three great autumn trees (Nishikigi, Japanese snowbell, and Nissa), hedges of Enkianthus and other shrubs, as well as tall trees such as ginkgo, making it a feast for the eyes. “Yuki-tsuri” (suspending ropes to protect branches from heavy snow) can be seen in the garden from around November, forming an essential part of the winter scenery in the Japanese Garden. The snow-covered blooms of camellias and sasanquas, which blossom in winter, are also especially captivating.  During this season, the garden hosts the “Flower and Light Pageant” (evening event), where visitors can enjoy an enchanting atmosphere created by candles and illuminated displays. Flower Shop with Seasonal Blooms& Gift Store with Original Merchandise There is also a flower shop inside the garden! Its main sections feature bedding plants and wildflowers, and it also offers potted arrangements for sale. The selection changes with the seasons as the plants are updated to reflect the garden’s displays, making it a place you’ll want to visit again and again. The souvenir shop at The Hiroshima Botanical Garden is also well stocked. You’ll find pressed-flower goods, plant-dyed items, medals, ceramics, wooden crafts, postcards, and sweets. Be sure to take home a memento of your visit! Information The Hiroshima Botanical Garden Address: 3-495 Kurashige Saeki-ku Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima / Japan Call: +81-(0) 82-922-3600 Official Website: http://www.hiroshima-bot.jp/nyuuen/foreign-languages/ Access:・By Bus: Hiroshima Electric Railway Bus (Hiroden Bus) via the Botanical Garden to Yakushigaoka Danchi　About 40 minutes from Hiroshima Bus Center (Platform 2)　About 20 minutes from JR / Hiroden Itsukaichi Station North Exit (Platform 1)・By Car:About 30 minutes from central Hiroshima City　About 15 minutes (approx. 7 km) from Sanyo Expressway Itsukaichi IC or Hatsukaichi IC OPEN SEASON: Year-round Closed: Fridays, and December 29 – January 3 Opening Hours: 9:00–16:30 (last entry at 16:00) Admission:・Ages 18–64: 510 yen・Ages 65 and over: 170 yen・High school students / equivalent age: 170 yen・Junior high school students and younger: Free Parking:532 vehicles; 450 yen for standard/compact cars For further information, click to view brochure:http://www.hiroshima-bot.jp/shokubutsu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HBG_reaflet.pdf