{"id":8948,"date":"2024-06-25T17:14:53","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T08:14:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/?p=8948"},"modified":"2024-06-25T18:39:08","modified_gmt":"2024-06-25T09:39:08","slug":"moriyama-ashikari-en-hydrangea-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shiga-ken.com\/blog\/2024\/06\/moriyama-ashikari-en-hydrangea-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Moriyama Ashikari-en hydrangea garden"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Moriyama<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Moriyama Ashikari-en<\/strong><\/em> (\u3082\u308a\u3084\u307e\u82a6\u5208\u5712) 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/em> below), and a lack of information and directions in English have kept the tourists at bay. Another “hidden gem” we could say. (It rhymes.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The garden is managed by a local senior citizens group called the Moriyama Silver Human Resources Center<\/a> (\u5b88\u5c71\u5e02\u30b7\u30eb\u30d0\u30fc\u4eba\u6750\u30bb\u30f3\u30bf\u30fc). Admission is only \u00a5200 for adults. (I would gladly pay more.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u00a52800.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In bloom from mid- to late June, hydrangea is synonymous with the rainy season. It was sunny when I went though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Moriyama\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hydrangea\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Garden entrance is lush with has multiple entry paths. Garden map is hidden by big hydrangea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"hydrangea\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hydrangea\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Otaksa<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Otaksa<\/em> hydrangea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Yama-ajisai\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hydrangea\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy the great variety of hydrangea. Most all have name signs, but in Japanese only. Left is Yama-ajisai.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"hydrangea\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hydrangea\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"hydrangea\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hydrangea\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"hydrangea\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hydrangea\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes there are bees, so watch for them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"hydrangea\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Pink\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Hawaiian\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Hawaiian Grape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hydrangea\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Pink Cyan, Hawaiian Grape, and Maihime<\/em> (Dancing Princess \u821e\u59eb).<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"hydrangea\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Overwhelming breadth, colors, and variety of hydrangea. Great place for Instagrammers, but let’s keep this garden a secret, a hidden gem…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Soeur\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Temari-temari\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Soeur Th\u00e9r\u00e8se<\/em> and Temari-temari<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Annabelle
Annabelle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"Mt.<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mt. Hiei on the Kyoto border can be seen in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garden website (in Japanese): https:\/\/webc.sjc.ne.jp\/moriyama\/center_5<\/a>
Tourist info: https:\/\/moriyamayamamori.jp\/spot\/ashikarien\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting to Moriyama Ashikari-en Garden<\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"JR
JR Moriyama Station, west side bus stops.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It’s possible to get to Moriyama Ashikari-en Garden by bus from JR Moriyama Station<\/a><\/strong> (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 \u00a52000 to \u00a53000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Moriyama Station building on the west side, there’s a tourist information office where you can ask for directions and bus schedules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From JR Moriyama Station (JR Biwako\/Tokaido Line), go out the west exit<\/strong> (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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the Sugie Junkan<\/em> (\u6749\u6c5f\u5faa\u74b0) bus. It leaves only once an hour. Check the bus schedule here<\/a> in Japanese. The bus schedule is slightly different for weekdays and weekends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After about a 15-min. ride, get off at the Sugie Higashi-guchi<\/strong> bus stop<\/a> (\u6749\u6c5f\u6771\u53e3). 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"rural\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"rice\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go straight on this rural road along a stream and through rice paddies. In the background is Mt. Hiei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Moriyama\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Moriyama\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Garden parking lot and ticket office and entrance. Admission \u00a5200 for adults, \u00a5100 for jr. high and younger kids and age 65+, free for preschool kids and younger and wheelchair companion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n