[Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture] A soothing view during the rainy season! Pre-flowering information, the hydrangeas at Daibutsu Park are beautiful!

What is Hirosaki City Daibutsu Park?

Daibutsu Park in Hirosaki City is full of cherry blossoms in spring and hydrangeas in early summer. There was once "Ishikawa Castle", also known as "Daibutsugahana Castle" , which Oura Tamenobu (Tsugaru Tamenobu) captured here It is said that it came to be so called because it resembles the nose of a sleeping Great Buddha, and today it is popular among citizens as the Great Buddha Park. Although it is called a park, it looks like a small hill from a distance. There are 33 Kannon statues hidden in the rugged landscape of the park, so it will be fun to look for them while walking around.

I went to Daibutsu Park, a famous spot for hydrangeas.

I went to Daibutsu Park, where the hydrangeas are in full bloom. We will also inform you of parking lot and park information, so please refer to it.

Entrance from parking lot

Daibutsu Park is a 10-minute walk from Ishikawa Station. There is a parking lot in front of you, but if this is full, you can park in the second parking lot.

As I went up the stairs, there was an explanation about Daibutsu Park, and the origin of the name was explained in detail. If you stand in front of this place, you can see Mt. Iwaki.

Unfortunately, it rained a little on this day, but on a clear day, Mt. Iwaki can be seen even more clearly! There are apple orchards surrounding the area, and it feels like the original scenery of Tsugaru.

After climbing a little bit, on the right hand side there was a route map for visiting the Ishikawa Thirty-Three Kannon. We are going up the stone steps you can see on the right side of the photo, but as you can see, they are quite steep. It is covered with moss and can be slippery, so please be careful when climbing.

Park map

Click here for a map of Daibutsu Park. Approximately 200 cherry trees are planted around the multipurpose plaza, making it a popular hidden cherry blossom spot. Additionally, hydrangeas are planted throughout the park, and there are approximately 2,500 of them! Although they are of different types, Hirosaki Park, which is said to be the best in Japan, has about 2,600 cherry blossoms, so you can see how many hydrangeas there are in Daibutsu Park.

The planting of hydrangeas began around 1972. It is known as a famous spot for hydrangeas because at the time, a member of the Hirosaki city council received a hydrangea sapling from a relative and planted it in Daibutsu Park, and the Ishikawa town chairman, who loved flowers, grew saplings and planted them. Now it looks like this.

The best time to see hydrangeas is from early July to late August . A hydrangea festival will be held to coincide with the blooming, and will be held from July 1st (Monday) to July 31st (Wednesday)

Please note that fireworks and bonfires are prohibited in the park, and dogs and cats are also prohibited from entering the park.

Facilities in the park

There is a multipurpose plaza right after entering the entrance. There are play equipment, a drinking fountain, and benches, so it's also recommended for families. There was a family there that day as well, but it was raining lightly, so they went home right away.

There were also vending machines installed in the plaza, and there were trash cans nearby. In recent years, where to throw away trash has become a problem, so it's nice to have a trash can.

There are toilets, but there is no toilet paper except during cherry blossom and hydrangea seasons, so you will have to bring your own.

To the observation plaza

As I continued along the road, I came across a plaza that was slightly smaller than the multipurpose plaza. This is a cherry blossom viewing plaza where you can enjoy about 200 cherry blossom trees in spring. There are benches with a roof, so it's perfect for taking a break.

Proceeding further, we finally arrived at the observation plaza. It's about 5 minutes from the entrance. It's a little steep due to the slope, but the view spreading out in front of you is soothing.

A spectacular spot with vast rice fields and apple orchards where you can relax and enjoy the relaxing time! It is also said to be a famous spot for taking pictures of trains, as you can see the JR and Konan Railway Owani Lines. If you go to the left of the observation plaza, you will be on a walking course, and if you go to the right, you will be on a course to visit the Ishikawa Thirty-Three Kannon Statues.

Unfortunately, there are no buds in early June.

There were a lot of hydrangeas before I came here, but since the photo was taken in June, most of them were buds, which is a shame. The type of hydrangea in the photo is unknown, but there are apparently about 20 types of hydrangea planted in the park. There are hydrangeas all along the road leading to the observation plaza, and I'm excited to see how beautiful they will be when they're in full bloom. Of course, there are hydrangeas along the Ishikawa Sanjusan Kannon worship route, so you can see hydrangeas wherever you walk.

This is a variety called Annabelle. Unlike traditional hydrangeas, this popular variety changes from lime green to white or light pink, and its flowers come in a variety of sizes. I just planted it recently, so I don't know if it will flower, but I'm sure it will look beautiful next year.

Information

• Name: Daibutsu Park
• Address: Ishikawa Daibutsu, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture 036-8124
• Phone number: 0172-33-8739 (Hirosaki City Parks and Greenery Division)
• URL: Hirosaki Tourism and Convention Association
• Closed: Closed in winter due to snow
• Parking: Available (free)
• Admission fee: Free

Google Map

summary

The rainy season is humid and depressing. You may not want to go anywhere because of the rain, but the hydrangeas at Daibutsu Park are worth a visit. The hydrangea festival starts on July 1st, so why not consider it as a rainy day destination?