When I visited Kawachi Wisteria Garden (Kawachi Fujien) in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, I felt it was not just a beautiful place but quite a unique floral spot that’s worth your time and money. If your visit to Japan is between late April and mid-May, this dream destination is where you need to go.
As I look back on my visit, I feel so grateful to have experienced such a wonderful flower paradise. When you step into this garden, you will realize the feeling of love for nature that Japanese people hold. You must add this place to your travel bucket list. Believe me guys; your trip there will be memorable.
About Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden
Kawachi Wisteria Garden was established by Masao Higuchi in 1968. That’s why he started cultivating the land with his eldest son. This private property was opened to the public in April 1977, and since then, it has become an iconic destination in Japan.
This hillside garden can be divided into two parts. One section is only dedicated to wisteria plants, and the other part holds many maple trees.
Since this is a private garden, you can only enter during the wisteria a season, and again in autumn when its blanket of trees display shades of red and orange.
Home to over 150 wisteria plants and 22 different varieties, every spring they bloom in abundance, making visitors wondering why this garden deserves one of the best flower viewing spots in all over Japan. There two stunning wisteria tunnels to see and the most popular one is the 110-meter wisteria tunnel.
In addition, there is a large wisteria trellis, which is about 3300ms in size. It creates a spectacular sight when wisteria flowers are in full bloom. Nobody wants to miss viewing such an amazing display of wisteria.
It’s pretty interesting to see many wisteria trees of differing varieties and colors there, ranging from white to dark purple and pink. As I walked along the paths, I noticed some of the vines are very old; their twisted trunks remind me of how carefully they were grown.
Best time to visit Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden
If you’re planning to visit Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden, I think timing is everything.
The wisteria flowers are usually in full bloom from late April to mid-May, and that’s when the garden is packed with many visitors. It’s also essential to make a reservation in advance because a lot of tourists visit the garden during the peak season in spring.
How to Get to Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden
Despite being one of the best destinations to visit in Japan in spring, Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden is difficult to reach due to not having any public transportation.
From Kokura Station, the park is just 13km away and a 15 minute drive. Car/taxi is available from train stations like Yahata, Kokura and Kurosaki stations. This is the best way to access the garden and less time consuming.
For more information about the routes, check out this official page: https://kawachi-fujien.com/access/
Important Things to Know
1. You are requested not to step on or touch the roots of any wisteria plants in the garden. Don’t damage any property.
2. Inside the garden there are no toilets to be found. You have to use the ones that are located at the entrance to the parking lot.
3. Don’t throw away your trash anywhere in the garden. And, open flames are strictly prohibited.
4. This garden is not pet friendly. So, don’t plan to get there with your pets.
5. When you leave the garden, there is no way you can re-enter.
6. Professional photography is not allowed. You are requested to take only regular snapshots. Use of tripod, monopods and drones are prohibited.
Conclusion
I do hope this guide helps you organize your upcoming trip to this fabulous place. I want to suggest a few more tips before you get there.
Due to its popularity in recent years, many locals and international tourists visit the park during the peak season (late April through early May). This is the time when the Japanese people celebrate the Golden Week, which is a collection of four national holidays within seven days.
So you can expect a lot of visitors there. To secure your trip, I recommend you to purchase tickets for a specific date and time slot in advance to get in the garden. You can collect your ticket from a convenience store, which is nonrefundable.
Check the opening hours and fees on its official webpage.
You have seen a lot of photographs of this wonderful garden. It will be more relevant and exciting when you will be able to see them on your own right there on the day of your visit. This garden should be on your radar when you are searching to find the best places to see wisteria in Japan.
Read also: Best Places to See Wisteria in Japan, and Japanese Wisteria Facts. Thank you very much!
