Iris Festival at Nagai Ayame Park

Around a million irises in hundreds of varieties

Beautiful irises in bloom at Nagai Ayame Park (Photo: Ryu-iryu-i/CC BY SA 3.0)

Kim Feb 14, 2021 - 1 min read

Each year from around mid-June to the first week of July, Yamagata's Nagai Ayame Park is filled with the color of around a million irises in bloom. From those million flowers, there are around 500 different varieties of them! The park holds an annual iris festival to celebrate their beauty, and it typically includes extra events like stage performances, sales of local produce, and even horseback riding.

Admission to the park is normally free, but during the iris blooming season there is an admission charge of 500 yen for adults and 200 yen for children.

Yamagata's Nagai Ayame Park is located around six minutes on foot from the Ayame Koen Station, served by the Yamagata Railway's Flower Nagai Line.

For those who opt to drive to the park, it's around a 20 minute drive from the Nanyo Takahata IC on the Tohoku Chuo Expressway. On-site parking is available for approximately 200 vehicles.