Gunma is one of Japan's eight landlocked prefectures, and is known for its mountainous landscapes, hot springs locations like Kusatsu Onsen, and hearty regional cuisine. You'll also find plenty of floral beauty here, particularly during spring. This guide covers five destinations where you can get your spring flower fix across the prefecture.
Tobu Treasure Garden
The Tobu Treasure Garden has a host of blooms to enjoy throughout the year, with around a million plants encompassing four thousand different varieties in its 80,000 square meter premises. One of the prettiest things about spring here is the shibazakura which blankets the ground in a beautiful pink, and it's even possible to enjoy shibazakura and sakura at the same time if you can schedule your visit right!
1050, 堀工町 Tatebayashi, Gunma 374-0033
Sakurayama Park
Sakurayama Park is special – the sakura here are the fuyuzakura type which actually bloom twice a year. They can be enjoyed during the spring season around April, and once again in November. The beauty of the blooms in spring is undeniable, but many would say there's something even more magical about seeing them set against colorful fall leaves in autumn.
2166-1 Sanbagawa, Fujioka, Gunma 370-1405
Gunma Flower Park
Located by Mount Akagi, the spacious Gunma Flower Park has multiple flowers and plants in bloom at any time of the year. The spring months pack in peony, tulip, primrose, and azalea festivals, and the family-friendly park also includes a hedge maze, playground, park train (at an additional fee of 300 yen), and the opportunity to participate in a range of hands-on crafts.
2471-7 Kashiwaguramachi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-0246
Akagi Nanmen Thousand Cherry Blossoms
As the name suggests, the Akagi Nanmen Thousand cherry blossoms includes 1000 cherry trees in bloom, adjacent to fields of vibrant yellow nanohana flowers – the combination of the two makes for a picture-perfect spring scene! A festival is typically held when the cherry trees are at their best, and they're illuminated after the sun sets so that visitors can enjoy them well into the evening.
2511-2 Naegashimamachi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-0241
Tsutsujigaoka Park
From around mid-April to early May each year, Tsutsujigaoka Park in Tatebayashi is filled with color thanks to an impressive 10,000 azalea bushes on the grounds. Breaking it down even further, the azaleas here are from 50 different varieties, including the likes of the purple maiden azalea, the white Ryukyu azalea, and the Asuka River azalea to name just a few.
3278 Hanayamacho, Tatebayashi, Gunma 374-0005
