Moriyama Ashikari-en (もりやま芦刈園) in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture has 100 varieties of 10,000 hydrangea on a huge two hectares. It has numerous hydrangea groves displaying a very impressive collection of many kinds of hydrangea from mid- to late June. It’s not overrun with tourists either. Still very local and mostly Japanese visitors. Open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm every day in June.
It’s located in a lush area along a river mouth and marshland with rice paddies nearby. This remote location, infrequent buses from JR Moriyama Station (see Getting There below), and a lack of information and directions in English have kept the tourists at bay. Another “hidden gem” we could say. (It rhymes.)
The garden is managed by a local senior citizens group called the Moriyama Silver Human Resources Center (守山市シルバー人材センター). Admission is only ¥200 for adults. (I would gladly pay more.)
There’s nothing else near the garden unless you have a car or taxi. By car, you could easily visit Lake Biwa Museum in neighboring Kusatsu or see Sagawa Art Museum. (I took a taxi to Pier Moriyama shopping mall afterward, costing ¥2800.)
In bloom from mid- to late June, hydrangea is synonymous with the rainy season. It was sunny when I went though.
Garden entrance is lush with has multiple entry paths. Garden map is hidden by big hydrangea.
The garden has numerous large, shaded patches of hydrangea shrubs. Each patch has walking paths to see the flowers. Hydrangea don’t like direct sunlight, so they are mostly shaded.
Otaksa hydrangea.
Enjoy the great variety of hydrangea. Most all have name signs, but in Japanese only. Left is Yama-ajisai.
Sometimes there are bees, so watch for them.
Pink Cyan, Hawaiian Grape, and Maihime (Dancing Princess 舞姫).
Overwhelming breadth, colors, and variety of hydrangea. Great place for Instagrammers, but let’s keep this garden a secret, a hidden gem…
Soeur Thérèse and Temari-temari.
Mt. Hiei on the Kyoto border can be seen in the background.
Garden website (in Japanese): https://webc.sjc.ne.jp/moriyama/center_5
Tourist info: https://moriyamayamamori.jp/spot/ashikarien/
Getting to Moriyama Ashikari-en Garden
It’s possible to get to Moriyama Ashikari-en Garden by bus from JR Moriyama Station (JR Biwako/Tokaido Line). However, buses run only once an hour (bus schedule is in Japanese only) and the nearest bus stop to the garden is still a 1 km walk (15 to 20 min. walk). By taxi, it will take about 10 min. and cost ¥2000 to ¥3000.
In the Moriyama Station building on the west side, there’s a tourist information office where you can ask for directions and bus schedules.
From JR Moriyama Station (JR Biwako/Tokaido Line), go out the west exit (Nishi-guchi) and go to bus stop 3. It’s toward the left when you get out of the station. See the number “3” sign (photo above).
Take the Sugie Junkan (杉江循環) bus. It leaves only once an hour. Check the bus schedule here in Japanese. The bus schedule is slightly different for weekdays and weekends.
After about a 15-min. ride, get off at the Sugie Higashi-guchi bus stop (杉江東口). Then backtrack on that straight road to the T intersection and turn right. Then turn left into a small road alongside a stream. Go straight and after passing through rice paddies, you’ll see the garden’s parking lot and entrance.
From the garden, you can walk back to the bus stop and catch the bus back to Moriyama Station. Or call a taxi to take you somewhere else. Moriyama Taxi: 077-582-2590
Go straight on this rural road along a stream and through rice paddies. In the background is Mt. Hiei.
Garden parking lot and ticket office and entrance. Admission ¥200 for adults, ¥100 for jr. high and younger kids and age 65+, free for preschool kids and younger and wheelchair companion.
