Flower enthusiasts come from all over the world to see the garden of Kawachi Fuji-en, one of Japan’s most magnificent, tucked away in the mountains south of Kitakyushu. Nowhere else can you see not one, but two tunnels of dense, blooming wisteria the length of football fields!
This private garden boasts 150 individual vines, with some of them more than a century old. Besides the tunnels, there are also vast trellises and a pair of igloo-shaped domes that you can walk inside of and enjoy the 22 kinds of white, pink, purple, and violet wisteria blossoms hanging from above (see the blooms in photos here and here and video here).
Each year during mid April to early May, coinciding with the Golden Week holidays, the garden draws large crowds. Tickets must be purchased in advance at a Seven-Eleven or Family Mart convenience store. The flowers can be reached by car or shuttle buses that leave 2 to 4 times per hour (9 am to 6 pm) from Yahata Station in Kitakyushu.
河内藤園—Kawachi Fuji-en—Kawachi Wisteria Garden
