Shiki no Sato Ryokusuien

Shiki no sato Ryokusuien, meaning "Village of Four Seasons," is a Japanese garden spanning 10,000 square meters along the Gohyaku River between Kikutamachi Horiuchi in Koriyama City and Iwane in Motomiya City, Fukushima Prefecture. The garden features natural ponds, walking paths, and seasonal plantings designed to showcase the beauty of each season throughout the year.

The garden's main attraction is its spectacular spring display, with approximately 2,500 cherry trees blooming from mid to late April. These include weeping cherry blossoms and descendants of some of Japan's most famous cherry trees. The collection also includes peach blossoms, forsythias, plums, rhododendrons, moss pinks, daffodils, irises, and other seasonal flowers. In autumn, around 200 trees provide colorful foliage displays, typically peaking from early to mid-November. The garden offers picturesque views of Mount Adatara in the distance, creating a scenic backdrop particularly striking when snow-capped peaks contrast with spring blossoms.

Visitors can stroll through the flower gardens and discover various features including traditional elements such as suikinkutsu (a stone pot that creates musical water sounds), fossil tree trunks, and stones shaped like animals. The garden includes shaded BBQ areas that can be reserved in advance, allowing guests to enjoy outdoor dining surrounded by seasonal beauty. A dog park accommodates visitors with pets. The grounds feature walking paths that wind through the gardens, offering different perspectives of the plantings and water features at every turn.

The garden is located about 15 minutes by car from the Koriyama IC or Hongu on the Tohoku Expressway. Free parking accommodates 200 ordinary vehicles and 10 large buses. Admission fees vary by season: from May 1 to July 20, adults pay 500 yen and students (elementary/junior high) pay 300 yen; during other open periods (April 1-30 and July 21-December 31), adults pay 300 yen and students pay 200 yen.