Manyo no Sato Park is a place where plants and waka poetry are combined! We went on a trip to experience the Japanese atmosphere along with Kanai Shrine, which is popular for Hanachozu!

Hydrangeas are early summer flowers that are in full bloom throughout the prefecture in June. The round, large flowers in gentle colors of blue, pink, purple, and white will soothe you.
Manyo no Sato Park, located in Kitase-cho, Inabe InabeCity, is a spot where you can enjoy beautiful hydrangeas that will brighten up your gloomy mood during the rainy season.

If you drive for about 15 minutes along a peaceful rice field road from the Daian IC on the Tokai Kanjo Expressway, you will arrive at Manyo no Sato Park.
Hydrangeas in full bloom will greet you on the road leading to the park! Countless purple hydrangeas are blooming, decorating the roadside.

The parking lot is located in the same area as the Hokusei Civic Center and InabeCity Hokusei Government Building, which are located right next to the park.
Let's take a walk around the park ♪

I visited in mid-June!
Hydrangeas can be seen in a variety of places, from parking lot shrubbery to gardens. At this time, it blooms for 6 to 7 minutes. It will be in full bloom towards the end of June. The best time to see them is usually from mid-June to the end of June.

Approximately 3,000 hydrangeas are planted in the park, including hydrangeas and hydrangeas. In 1990, when Manyo-no-Sato Park was created, the Hokusei town officials at the time planted hydrangeas by hand (!) and made them the town flower. Pruning is repeated every year in July after the peak blooming season has ended, resulting in the current number.

The park is designed so that you can walk around it for about 10 minutes.
The hydrangeas are planted here and there, so it's fun to walk around looking for hydrangeas in your favorite color and shape!
It seems that some rare varieties are planted inside, so be sure to take a look.

The walking path is covered with trees, so even in summer there is shade and it's cool! There are also benches and other points where you can sit and take a break.

Also, be sure to bring your camera when walking around with hydrangeas!
Hydrangeas come in a variety of colors, sizes, shapes, and blooming styles, and you'll definitely want to take lots of photos! The colors are summery and very refreshing. It's fun to look back at the photos you took.
On this day, many people were enjoying the viewing with cameras in hand.

If you go behind the Hokusei Civic Center, you can see an area where hydrangeas are even more concentrated. Although you can't go inside, there are many hydrangeas blooming behind the fence, which is a spectacular sight!

Also, hydrangeas are not the only things you can enjoy at Manyo no Sato Park.
In the first place, the origin of the word ``Manyo no Sato'' is Japan's oldest existing collection of waka poems, ``Manyoshu.'' The new era name, ``Reiwa,'' has also become a hot topic because it is derived from the Manyoshu.

"Is it just an etymology?" No, it's not!
At Manyo-no-Sato Park, you can see about 140 of the 150 types of plants mentioned in the Manyoshu poems.
That's not all! Pay attention to the purple sign. Along with the plants, songs about the plants are introduced.
When you take a walk, be sure to look for this sign as well.

If you look closely, you'll see that along with the plant's name, there's also a Japanese poem and an easy-to-understand explanation. Not only can you learn the names of plants you didn't know, but it's even more impressive when you see it together with Japanese poetry.
You can feel how people in the past must have thought of this plant when they saw it.

There is also a copy of the Manyoshu in the library in the civic center next to the park, so if you are interested, it might be fun to pick it up.

You can enjoy not only hydrangeas in early summer, but also plum blossoms in winter and wild cherry blossoms in spring.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to take pictures this time, but I'll try again♪

The park also has a large lawn area, so it might be a good place to have a picnic or do some light exercise!

Also, be sure to stop by Kanai Shrine, which is about a 15-minute drive from Manyo no Sato Park.

Kanai Shrine's Chozuya is a place where you can enjoy taking pictures of the `` Hanachozu'', a process of beautiful hydrangeas floating in the water.

Colorful hydrangeas are trapped in the clear water, giving it a summery and cool feel!
You can take fantastic photos that look great on SNS♪

Also, keep an eye out for the goshuin at Kanai Shrine!
Apart from the regular Goshuin stamps, the Goshuin stamps with original designs are said to be cute. It is painted with blue and pink hydrangeas and golden letters. You can choose from two types and have them written for 500 yen each.

This hydrangea design is only available in June, and it will change to a different design from next month onwards. Designs that represent the seasons will remain in your memories!

 

After enjoying the seasonal flowers, take a break and shop at "Nigiwai no Mori" next to InabeCity Hall.

In an area full of greenery, there are 5 stores including a stylish food boutique, bakery shop, and cafe. While strolling, take a break with a cold drink, perfect for hot days! Hmm, I'll come back to life♪

Nigiwai no Mori
Address: 31 Ageki, ageki cho InabeCity
Phone number/0594-72-7705
Access by car: Approximately 15 minutes from Tokai Kanjo Expressway “Daian IC”
Access by public transportation/20 minutes walk from Sangi Railway Hokusei Line “ageki Station”
Town development through “food” in “Nigiwai no Mori” Four stores where you can enjoy popular gourmet food are gathered in Nabe!

Enjoy an early summer outing to see and photograph InabeCity 's hydrangeas. Even if it rains, it's nice to still have a nice atmosphere. Please go out and enjoy the elegant view that is unique to this season.