Suisen (daffodils/narcissus) flowers come into season in January in many places in Japan, from Kanto to Kyushu. As the first sign that winter is waning and the warm winds of spring are coming our way, the bright colors of these flowers are a welcome sight each year. And, as with many floral displays, Japan has a lovely way of presenting daffodils, assembling them in fields for superb winter and early spring viewing.
The locations below are some of the prettiest places in the country to enjoy these yellow and white blooms.
Kasai Rinkai Park (Tokyo)
Photo: WikiCommons/ ArashiyamaKasai Rinkai Park is the largest park located in central Tokyo. Opened in 1989 and built on reclaimed land near Tokyo Bay, this park boasts several attractions, including an aquarium, the iconic Diamond and Flowers Ferris Wheel and a sea bird sanctuary. In addition, the park is home to several flower viewing sites, with 57,000 daffodils blooming in February. The daffodils are specially sourced from various prefectures famous for their cultivation, such as Shizuoka, Fukui, Chiba and Hyogo. The park also holds an annual daffodil festival featuring stage performances and shops selling local products from these prefectures.
Gogendo Tsutsumi (Saitama)
Photo: iStock/ yoko_ken_chanThis park is famous in the Kanto region for its year-round flower displays, such as cherry blossoms in the spring, hydrangeas in June, cluster amaryllis in September and daffodils in the winter. The large park is subdivided into four smaller parks, which include a multi-purpose sports park for baseball and soccer games, a recreational park with expansive playgrounds and camping sites, a green park with flower beds and the most popular one, the Satte Gogendo Sakura Tsutsumi park which is home to 500, 000 blooming daffodils. The peak blooming period is January to catch these white daffodils in their prime.
Ezuki Suisen Road (Chiba)
Photo: Pixta/ i-flowerSouthern Chiba is known as a daffodil cultivation hotspot dating back to the Edo period. The Ezuki Suisen Road is a three-kilometer hiking course where thousands of daffodils bloom all winter. They are popular for their tall stature and rich fragrance. The course takes about 30-40 minutes to complete, and the best time to see the daffodils is from mid-December to the end of January. During this period, a daffodil festival is held where local agricultural products and daffodils go on sale on the side of the road.
Cape Tsumekizaki Natural Park (Shizuoka)
Photo: Pixta/ AnmitsuThis park in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, is known for its breathtaking marine vistas, especially on sunny days. From December to the end of January, one of the main attractions is the three million white daffodils that bloom spectacularly, spreading their sweet perfume throughout the cape. During the same time period, Cape Tsumekizaki Natural Park holds a Daffodil Festival, where you can buy local goods and enjoy food and drinks alongside your flower viewing.
Echizen Cape Narcissus Land (Fukui)
Photo: iStock/ gyroNarcissus Land is a hillside facing Echizen Beach overlooking the Sea of Japan. From November to March, this picturesque coastal site is home to over 15 million blooming daffodils, covering roughly six hectares. This site also has a Greecian-inspired Garden Club House where visitors can relax, buy souvenirs, and enjoy drinks. The area also features several walking paths and an observation deck to catch a better view of the daffodils and surrounding ocean vista.
You’ll need to board the Keifuku bus departing from JR Fukui station heading towards “Echizen-sayu” and get off at “Echizen-Suisen no Sato Koen.” Alternatively, opt for the Keifuku bus on the Gumizaki Line at JR Fukui station, disembarking at “Suisen Land Entrance” after a 70-minute journey and a 30-minute stroll from the bus stop.
Nabana no Sato (Mie)
Photo: Pixta/ オフィスKNabana no Sato is a grand flower theme park in Nagashima Resort. Here, you can also find an amusement park, an onsen, a beer garden and some of the biggest winter illuminations across the country. Although later than other daffodil blooming times, at the end of March, 20,000 rare narcissus of nine varieties burst into bloom under the weeping plum blossom trees. From late March to mid-April, enjoy the Daffodil Festival alongside other in-season beauties, such as cherry blossoms, weeping plums and tulips.
Nada Kuroiwa Suisenkyo (Hyogo)
Photo: Pixta/ BeeThis daffodil flower park, also known as Nada Kuroiwa Narcissus Park in English, is located in the southern region of Awaji and is considered one of Japan’s largest wildflower fields. It is said that 180 years ago, local fishermen planted daffodil bulbs that had washed ashore, and the flowers have been self-propagating ever since. These creamy white daffodils now number five million and cover seven hectares. The steeply sloped area provides scenic coast views and nearby Nushima Island.
Uminonakamichi Seaside Park (Fukuoka)
Photo: iStock/ lukyeee1976Uminonakamichi is perfect for a full day of attractions and flower viewing for the whole family. This giant park is famous for its kid-friendly sites, such as an aquarium, a zoo, a waterpark, playgrounds and much more. The park also boasts several flower-oriented sites, such as the Flower Museum, Rose Garden, Flower Hill and Toy Box Flower Garden. These areas feature a variety of flowers but come winter, the Toy Box Flower Garden is home to thousands of pristine white and yellow-colored daffodils that bloom from February through March.
Nomozaki Daffodil Hill (Nagasaki)
Photo: Pixta/ みらいLocated at the tip of the Nagasaki peninsula is the beautiful and wonderfully fragrant Nomozaki Daffodil Hill. Here, you can view a whopping 10 million daffodils in bloom along the slopes while also gazing upon another Nagasaki landmark, the World Heritage site, Gunkanjima (Battleship Island). An annual festival is held at Daffodil Hill to celebrate and promote local cultivation of the flowers, while on Sundays, a limited number of bouquets are given away, and hot pots are served.
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