Ibaraki Flower Park, Ishioka

Ibaraki Flower Park was originally established in 1985 in Ishioka City as a traditional flower park focused primarily on visual beauty. The park underwent extensive renovation and reopened in 2021 under a new concept of becoming "a flower park that engages all the senses," transforming it into a comprehensive destination with dining, shopping, lodging, and hands-on creative experiences alongside its botanical displays.

Covering approximately 30 hectares, the park showcases over 900 different varieties of roses, the prefectural flower of Ibaraki Prefecture. The collection includes approximately 30,000 roses across 800 varieties, along with 2,700 peonies and 1,500 plants in the greenhouse. Roses remain in bloom during two main seasons: mid-May to late June and October to mid-November. The park maintains year-round appeal with seasonal flowers including irises, lilies, hydrangeas, sunflowers in summer, dahlias and osmanthus in autumn, and Christmas roses, camellias, and nanohana in winter.

Visitors can explore several themed rose sections including the Rose Terrace, Rose Palette where blooms are arranged by color, Aromatic Roses organized by scent, and the Rose Tunnel. The park offers over 100 different hands-on activities such as botanical wreath making, herb and aroma mist creation, candle making, bamboo windchime crafting, and botanical soap making. The on-site Restaurant Rose Farm House serves cuisine featuring fresh Ibaraki ingredients with panoramic garden views, while the Rose Farm Market & Café offers rose-themed products and dishes incorporating local fruits.

Accommodation is available at the adjacent Hanayasatoyama Circle Lodge and glamping-style tents, allowing guests to experience the satoyama landscape and stargazing. The park hosts annual events including spring and autumn rose festivals and winter illuminations that typically run from mid-November through early January. An observation tower provides panoramic views of Mount Tsukuba.

From Tokyo Station, take a limited express train to Ishioka Station (approximately 1 hour), then board a bus to Flower Park Mae stop (30 minutes). By car, the park is approximately 15 minutes from Tsuchiura Kita IC on the Joban Expressway, 20 minutes from Joban Expressway Ishioka Omitama Smart IC, or 25 minutes from Kasama Nishi IC on the Kita Kanto Expressway. On-site parking is available. General admission costs 900 yen for adults, 300 yen for children (elementary and junior high school students), and is free for preschoolers.