Explore the magical field of Sunflowers at Yanagawa Sunflower Garden

Beaches and pools are not the only places to escape the hot and humid summer of Japan. Summer in Japan also means bloom of sunflowers. Yanagawa Sunflower Garden in Fukuoka Prefecture turns into a sunflower paradise with a bloom of more than 500000 sunflowers, creating a beautiful and mystical summer landscape.

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Endless sunflower paradise of Fukuoka

The sunflower paradise of Fukuoka, Yanagawa is a big 3.5 hectares that is filled with 500,000 big and bright yellow sunflowers during the summer time. Located in a coastal city of Fukuoka prefecture in Yanagawa that faces Ariake sea, this place is a popular summer destination for local people as well as tourists. The landscape with the contrast of blue sky and the endless field of vibrant yellow sunflowers is what makes this place so special and appealing. Each sunflower can grow taller than the height of average adults and there are little paths that run through the fields which you can walk through to have a little adventure and take pictures. The sunflower garden offers a resting point in the shade in case you need to take a rest from the summer heat. You can also enjoy a Japanese summer dessert called "Kakigori" which is made of shaved ice and syrup of your choice while exploring the garden.

Best time to witness the sunflower paradise

Although sunflowers are expected to bloom during the whole summer, the best time to witness the full bloom of sunflowers is in July. In fact, Yanagawa sunflower garden is only open for two weeks from mid-July to end of July so you wouldn’t want to miss such a rare opportunity. Yanagawa sunflower garden is not only great to visit during the daytime but also during the sunset and night time as well. As the sun sets and colour of the sky turns orange or pink, the colour of the light reflects upon sunflowers, turning the sunflower fields into a magical and breathtaking scenic site. At night, the sunflower fields are lighted up from sunset until 9 pm so you can experience an unusual and different atmosphere with the illuminations. The entry to the sunflower garden as well as the parking spot is free so there is literally no excuse not to visit this wonderful place during summer, especially if you’re visiting Kyushu.

Explore and discover the surroundings of Yanagawa

Yanagawa is not just a home of 500000 sunflowers but it is also known as the "City of Water" as it consists of hundreds of kilometers of canals running through the city. Yanagawa was originally a farming village and many canals were built hundreds of years ago for irrigation which is now tourist attractions for short river cruises. You can cruise the rivers with "Donkobune", which are low flatboats ran by man and can cruise down the river while exploring the traditional water city enjoying its nature and historical towns. At the halfway of the cruising, the boat stops at a riverside shop where you can buy snacks or drinks, or even ice cream on a hot day. The Donkobune cruises are roughly 70-minutes boat ride that costs around 1500 yen for adults and 800 yen for children. If you are staying in the city until August, the Yanagawa city also holds Ariake Sea fireworks festival that will fulfill your Japanese summer bucket lists.

Try the local specialty in Yanagawa

kabayaki Yanagawa city is famous for another thing which is eel or "Unagi" fish. You can try the Yanagawa eel at any local restaurants there which may cost between 2,500 yen to 3,000 yen but Yanagawa's eel fish menus are so popular that it sells out during the day and therefore most restaurants close by late afternoon. So if you are visiting Yanagawa, make sure to not miss the local special eel dishes.

How to visit?

From Tokyo to Fukuoka, it will take roughly two hours via an airplane. Once you are in Fukuoka, take a Nishitetsu Tenjin Oomuta line train from Tenjin station to Nishitetsu Yanagawa station to get to Yanagawa city. If you wish to visit the sunflower garden, the Yanagawa sunflower garden is further 30-minutes car ride from the Nishitetsu Yanagawa station but good news, the station offers free shuttle buses to the Yanagawa sunflower garden during the sunflower season.