Migration
Godzilla oversees visitors to Kurihama Flower World near Yokosuka
Stars and Stripes
July 23, 2020
Visitors can enjoy colorful blooms year-round at Kurihama Flower World near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Visitors can enjoy colorful blooms year-round at Kurihama Flower World near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Relaxation is the name of the game at Kurihama Flower World in Yokosuka, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
A large Godzilla statue is popular with children of all ages at Kurihama Flower World in Yokosuka, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Train rides are popular with the families that visit Kurihama Flower World near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Kurihama Flower World in Yokosuka, Japan, is known for its seasonal flowers and a large Godzilla statue. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Seasonal flowers are abundant at Kurihama Flower World near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Hiding south of Tokyo, in the eastern part of Kanagawa prefecture near Yokosuka, Godzilla oversees millions of blooming flowers year-round.
Kurihama Flower World, or Hana no Kuni, “country of flowers,” is a park atop a mountain notable for seasonal poppies and cosmos flowers. The Flower Train, a bus shaped as a vintage steam engine train, traverses all around the 1¼-mile-wide park.
A colorful sea of yellow, red, orange and pink poppies grows in spring, while beds of purple, pink, red and white cosmos stretch as far as the eye can see come autumn.
The park hosts a flower-picking rally on the last week of two seasonal festivals, the Cosmos Festival from September to October and the Poppy Festival from April to June. During the rallies, visitors may pick their own bouquets to take home for free.
Aside from millions of flowers that adorn the mountainside garden, Adventure Land awaits kids of all ages past a 29-foot-tall Godzilla, which doubles as a slide.
Inside Adventure Land is another, 146-foot-long slide, a large-scale obstacle course, a rock wall and a large playground.
If you’re hungry, the park has Los Marinos Garden Restaurant, which offers seasonal meals such as curries and pastas that incorporate the flowers and ice cream or sweets with a view of Tokyo Bay. The restaurant allows pets to the terrace and if reserved in advance, you may rent barbeque equipment and purchase food to grill.
Flower World also has a small hot-spring herb foot bath that blends different herbs into the foot bath according to the season.
Right outside the flower park, an archery range and miniature golf course provide the option of making the trip to Flower World an all-day event.
Masks are required for all patrons.
lopez.christian@stripes.com Twitter: @Clopez_Stripes
DIRECTIONS: About a 15-minute walk from Kurihama Station on the Keikyu Line. Exit the station, exit left and walk toward Aeon Mall. Pass the mall and signs direct you to the park.
TIMES: Open daily
COSTS: Free to enter. Parking is 600 yen for the day; the train that courses through the park is 300 yen.
FOOD: Vending machines for snacks and drinks; a hillside restaurant overseeing the bay offers pasta, curries, pizza and ice cream; a cafe serves more sweets and drinks.
INFORMATION: Online: www.kanagawaparks.com/kurihama-perry