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In Taketa city, Oita prefecture, there is the famous Kuju Flower Park, a vast park filled with seasonal flowers. When in Kyushu, do visit this area and marvel at the amazing sight of beautiful flowers spreading as far as the eyes can see!
At the Aso-Kuju National Park in central Kyushu, there is a village where visitors can enjoy beautiful flowers throughout the year.
This article is about the charms of the Kuju Hana Koen (Kuju Flower Park), which is located near the hot springs areas of Yufuin and Beppu.
Picture courtesy of Kuju Flower Park
Kuju Flower Park is located on the Kuju Plateau in Taketa City. From March to November visitors can enjoy 500 kinds of flowers, 5 million in total.
Picture courtesy of Kuju Flower Park
The park is designed as a village of flowers. There are also eateries and shops, so that visitors can spend all day at the park.
The park, about 220,000 square meters in size, has a cart service for elderly visitors and persons with disabilities.
The service costs 2000 yen, and the cart goes through the park in 20 minutes with a presentation about the flowers in Japanese. On the day of our visit, Mr. Esaki, the chief planner, gave us a tour with comments about the flowers and how to maintain their beauty.
Mr. Esaki also told us that even though there is a cart service, he hopes the visitors would walk leisurely around the park and enjoy the fragrant flowers, especially on a sunny day.
The park is located on a plateau, where the weather changes abruptly. But even if it rains, there is a greenhouse where the visitors can enjoy themselves regardless of the weather. It is one of the reasons why the park is popular.
To remember the visit, we recommend the following three spots.
This is the most popular spot, where couples and families take photographs surrounded by the the heart-shaped flower pods.
This panel should make a wonderful memory of the visit. Many visitors use this spot, as the date and the name of the park are printed on the panel.
Hair ornaments and flower-decorated hats are available, so the visitors can have a little fun.
Inside the greenhouse, there is a Hanamikuji, which costs 100 yen. It is an omikuji (fortune telling paper), so give it a try.
The hanamikuji not only tells the visitor's fortune, but also about the flower that is associated with the visitor, and what it means.
Visitors can tie the omikuji like in the photograph above, but they can also take it home, especially if it is a "daikichi." (*1) Don't forget to take photographs.
*1: The best level of luck in an omikuji.
On the day of our visit, Casablanca lilies were in full bloom. Here are some of the other flowers in this park.
Picture courtesy of Kuju Flower Park
Picture courtesy of Kuju Flower Park
Picture courtesy of Kuju Flower Park
Picture courtesy of Kuju Flower Park
It might be a good idea to spend your time in this English-style garden, surrounded by the annual herbs, flowers and trees.
During the seasons, the timing of the flowers' blooming is adjusted, so the visitors can always enjoy the scenery. There is also a live feed of the park in the official site (Japanese), so take a look. If you have the chance to visit Oita Prefecture, please go to the Kuju Flower Park, and enjoy the fragrant, wonderful flowers!
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福岡県出身でとにかく美味しいものが大好き。日本の伝統とお祭りを愛しています!取材というより、自分が楽しむ!その楽しさを伝えることに全力投球。