Sunflowers are in bloom in several areas nearby and around Fukuoka City. Fukuoka Now has gathered the details on eight wonderful places to view these beauties!From early summer to autumn, the best time to visit varies by location, so be sure to check official websites or SNS before you go.
Sunflower Viewing Spots near Fukuoka
• Fukuoka City (1)
• Yanagawa City, Fukuoka (1)
• Oto-machi, Tagawa, Fukuoka (1)
• Chikuzen-machi, Asakura, Fukuoka (1)
• Asakura City, Fukuoka (1)
• Saga Prefecture (2)
• Oita Prefecture (1)
• Nagasaki Prefecture (1)
Fukuoka City
Nokonoshima Island Park
Only 10 min. by ferry from Meinohama, 50,000 sunflowers bloom in Nokonoshima Island Park right after marigold season. The park delays sunflower seed harvesting to give visitors a longer period to view the flowers. You can also cut a sunflower in bloom for yourself as a souvenir–we recommend placing it in an empty bottle of Nokonoshima cider to take home! Be sure to bring your own container, and gloves for sunflower cutting. (Scissors are available for rent in the park.)
• Best time to view: Late Jul. to late Aug.
• Approx. 50,000 flowers across 7,000 m2
• Sunflower picking: 7/23 (Sat.) ~ 8/21 (Sun.) *finishes when all flowers for picking are gone.
• Opening hours: Mon. ~ Sat.: 9:00~17:30, Sun. and hol.: 9:00~18:30
• Closed: Never
• Entry fee: Adult: ¥1,200, ES & JHS: ¥600, 3 y.o. & below: ¥400
• Parking available: Meinohama ferry terminal (¥510 / day) 347 spaces
• Nokonoshima Island Park, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka
• Ride the ferry from Meinohama Ferry Terminal to Nokonoshima (approx. 10 min.), then catch the bus from Nokonoshima Ferry Terminal heading to “Island Park” (approx. 15 min). Get off at the last stop.
• http://nokonoshima.com/en/
Yanagawa City, Fukuoka
Yanagawa Sunflower Garden
Bright yellow sunflowers bloom yearly at Yanagawa Sunflower Garden on five hectares of reclaimed land facing the Ariake Sea. Open from July 15 to July 24, you can also view the flowers in a different “light” at night when they are illuminated from sunset to 21:00. Shuttle bus service is available in hourly intervals from Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station (east exit). Entrance is free, but a ¥500 contribution is requested from those who use the parking lot and from those who come by shuttle bus as a contribution towards maintenance of the garden.
Photo from Yanagawa Sunflower Garden facebook
• Best time to view: Mid-July to end of July.
• 500,000 flowers across 5 hectares
• Open: 7/15 (Fri.) ~ 7/24 (Sun.), light up: sunset to 21:00
• Closed: Never
• Free entry (¥500 maintenance fee for shuttle bus visitors)
• Parking available (gen.: 9:00~17:00 ¥500, free of charge after 17:00): 150 spaces
• Hashimoto-machi, Yanagawa City, Fukuoka
• https://ariake-mutsugoro.jp/
• https://www.facebook.com/yanagawa.himawari/
Oto-machi, Tagawa, Fukuoka
Oto Sakuragaido Flower Garden
Oto Sakuragaido is a roadside rest area with a range of fun activities, including playgrounds and hot spring facilities. The site also gained a lot of attention for its luxurious toilets, which reportedly cost ¥100 million to install. The adjoining garden stretches out across 1.2-hectares of land and sees beautiful sunflowers come into bloom during the Summer months. The 8-meter rainbow observatory in the center of the grounds offers a magnificent 360-degree view of the sunflowers below. (The observatory is open from 10:00 to 17:00)
• Best time to view: Mid-Jul. ~ late Jul.
• 300,000 flowers across 1.2 ha
• Opening hours (Oto Sakuragaido) : 9:00~17:00
• Closed: Irregular
• Free entry
• Free parking available: 500 spaces
• 1339 Imatobaru, Oto-machi, Tagawa-gun, Fukuoka
• Approx. 35 min. from Kyushu expressway, Yahata IC.
• https://bit.ly/3hmHJMe
Chikuzen-machi, Asakura, Fukuoka
Chikuzen Farmers Market Minaminosato
Enjoy seasonal flowers set against the gorgeous yasukogen mountains! Visitors can expect to see mustard seed in the Spring, cosmos in Autumn, and sunflowers during the Summer. The period around the O-bon Festival offers the best chance to see the sunflowers in full bloom. Why not pick up some locally harvested fruit, vegetables, or specially prepared dishes at the farmers’ market during your trip and sit down for a picnic while taking in the scenery?
• Best time to view: Early Aug. ~ mid-Aug.
• Approx. 40,000 for 4,000 m2
• Opening hours (farmers market) : 9:00~17:00
• Closed: 3rd Wednesday
• Free entry
• Free parking available: over 100 spaces
• 866 Minami, Chikuzen-machi, Asakura-gun, Fukuoka
• Take the Nishitetsu train to Asakuragaido station and change to the bus towards Asakura City. Approx. 10 min. by taxi after getting off at Shinokuma bus top.
• http://chikuzen-minaminosato.jp/
Asakura City, Fukuoka
Haki Daihimawaribatake
Witness a carpet of yellow flowers suddenly appear as you drive along the stretch of road beside the Harazuru Farm Station Basaro (roadside rest area). The sunflowers in these fields grow up to approximately two meters in height. Information on sunflower sowing and flowering will be updated on the official Facebook page.
• Best time to view: mid-Sep. ~ early Oct.
• 160,000 flowers across 1.6 ha
• Opening hours (Harazuru Farm Station Basaro) : 8:30~17:30
• Closed: New years
• Free entry
• Free parking available: 120 spaces
• 1665-1 Hakikugumiya, Asakura, Fukuoka
• Ride express bus and transfer to the Asakura expressway at the Haki bus stop and get off at Kami Harazuru bus stop. 5 min. by car from Haki IC.
• http://fs-basaro.jp/
Saga Prefecture
Hyotanshima Park
With an area spanning 1.8 km and a width of 700 m from north to south, the park features waterfront plants, fish, and wild birds in their natural habitat. It’s surrounded by a creek which makes its shape calabash-like, hence its name “Hyotan” which is the Japanese word for calabash. Every year, 250,000 sunflowers come to full bloom all over the west side of the park, drawing lots of visitors who come to take photos. The annual “Sunflower Festival” has been canceled, but you can pick sunflowers on your own to take home. Be sure to bring your scissors, container, and gloves. You are free to take photos. The best time to take photos is before the sunflowers are picked (until July 31).
• Best time to view: Late Jul. ~ Early Aug.
• 250,000 flowers across 1.2 hectares
• Sunflower picking: 8/1 (Mon.) ~ mid-Aug
• Closed: Never
• Free entry
• Free parking available: 90 spaces
• 4413 Fuchi, Hyogo-machi, Saga City, Saga
• Ride bus no. 56 headed to Hyogo/Kubo Izumi Kogyo Danchi and get off at Shimofuchi bus stop, 5 min. on foot from there
• http://www.city.saga.lg.jp/main/72054.html
Yamada Sunflower Garden
Blooming from November, the sunflowers at Yamada Sunflower Garden differ from the popular variety that blooms in summer. The red leaves of the trees in Mount Takatori, together with the blue autumn sky, provide a beautiful, contrasting background to the giant, yellow sunflowers in the mountain rice terraces. In order to preserve this beautiful scenery for future generations, it was even recognized as a Saga Prefecture Heritage Site in December 2020. The place is visited by tourists and photography enthusiasts alike during weekends and holidays to capture the fantastic scenery.
• Best time to view: early Nov. ~ late Nov.
• Open: 11/1 (Tue.) ~ 11/30 (Wed.)
• 100,000 flowers across 6,000 m2
• Opening hours: 9:00~16:00
• Closed: Never
• Entry fee: ¥100 (cleaning and maintenance fee)
• Free parking available: 20 spaces, 75 spaces at Yamada Mzube Park
• Minobaru, Miyaki-cho, Miyaki-gun, Saga
• 3 min. by car along Prefectural Road 31 from Kawakubo Road (head north from the intersection at Higashi, Ayabe)
• https://www.miyakikankou.jp/main/6774.html
Oita Prefecture
Kuju Hanakoen
Take a stroll through one of the most extensive flower gardens in western Japan! Visitors can expect to discover 500 types of flowers in any season. Their bright yellow sunflowers are in full bloom for about one month from mid-July. The large site is surrounded by the Kuju mountain range and Aso Gogaku (the five mountains of Aso). The stunning scenery includes lush forests, beautiful flowers, and picturesque fields. Starting this year, early-blooming and late-blooming varieties are planted in two separate areas, so visitors can enjoy sunflowers for a longer period of time than last year. The blooming status is constantly updated on the blog on the official website.
• Best time to view: mid-July ~ late Aug.
• Early blooming: 6,000 flowers, late blooming: 8,000 flowers
• Opening hours: 8:30~17:30 (last entry 17:00)
• Closed: Never
• Entry fee: over HS ¥1,300, over 5 y.o. ¥500
• Free parking available: 300 spaces
• 405 Kuju, Kuju-machi, Takeda, Oita
• Take the Takeda Kotsu bus from Bungotaketa Station (JR Hohi Line) for 20min. and get off at Kujushisho mae Station. Approx. 10 min. by taxi after getting off at Kujushisho-mae Station.
• http://www.hanakoen.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/kujuhanakoen/
Nagasaki Prefecture
Daichi Nojo Koshinosato
This site is located on the Shimabara Peninsula hills and home to approximately 30,000 sunflowers during the Summer. The yellow flowers and beautiful blue sea combine to offer a wonderfully picturesque view. Potatoes are usually grown in these fields. However, the farm plants sunflowers every June to help revitalize the soil. The sun setting over the sea creates a stunning backdrop to view the bright yellow sunflowers.
• Best time to view: mid-Aug. ~ late Aug.
• 30,000 flowers across 7,000 m2
• Free visiting
• 2570 Kazusacho, Minamishimabara, Nagasaki
• 7.6 km along Unzen Green Road
• https://www.instagram.com/minamishimabara_himawarikankou/
Originally written in Jul. 2017, updated in Jul. 2022.
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NOTE: The information presented here was gathered and summarized by the Fukuoka Now staff. While we have done our best to check for accuracy, there might be errors and details may have changed. If you notice any errors or changes, please contact us. This report was originally written in Jul. 2017.
