There are many seasonal flowers throughout the year at Akashi Kaikyo National Government Park in Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture. In the spring you'll find tulips and hydrangeas while in the summer season, impatiens, dahlias and sunflowers are in full bloom, creating a lot of enjoyment for people visiting.
Akashi Kaikyo Park used to be the site where soil was removed as part of the land reclamation project for Kansai Airport. Later, under the theme of 'People and nature coexisting, interaction between people,' the site became the current park as it is today.
Within the park itself you will find areas like Hidamari Hill, Children's Forest and Tendan Terrace where both adults and children can spend an enjoyable and fulfilling day. There are also BBQ areas so bringing your own food to cook is also a great way of spending the day.
Along the border of the park you'll also find the Hanahidori, a giant four metre tall phoenix sculpture created in thoughts of the recovery of the area from the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. It's a beautiful place to take photographs when visiting with family and friends.
If you like flowers, Awaji Island comes highly recommended. Daichi-no-niji and Hana-no-shima are some of the many great places to enjoy the seasonal flowers at the park. The island is also a lot larger than it seems so you may find that renting a bicycle or taking the bus around the island very helpful. The fresh air on the face as you take in the great views of Osaka Bay is an unforgettable experience.
Getting there
From mainland Honshu, you can visit Awaji Island by bus, car or by plane Kobe Airport. An express bus from Osaka is available while from Kanto, a night bus from Tokyo or Shinagawa will get you there the following day.
