Higashizawa Rose Park is a beautiful rose garden in Murayama City, Yamagata Prefecture. Covering approximately 7 hectares, it is one of the largest rose gardens in eastern Japan.
Approximately 20,000 rose bushes representing 750 varieties bloom throughout the park, creating a spectacular landscape of flowers in a wide range of colors. During the peak seasons, visitors can stroll among the roses while enjoying their rich fragrances and the peaceful natural surroundings.
The park was created in 1956, when the hills on the eastern side of the site were landscaped and roses were planted. The main flowering seasons are generally early June and late September, when the park becomes especially colorful and fragrant.
During the peak flowering periods, the park hosts a Rose Festival featuring a variety of events and activities. In 2001, Higashizawa Rose Park was selected by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment as one of the “100 Fragrant Landscapes”. It is notable as the only rose garden in Japan to have received this designation. The park has also been recognized as a “Lover’s Sanctuary,” a designation given to romantic destinations across Japan.
The Rose Exchange Hall is one of the facilities within the park. Visitors can enjoy a unique rose-flavored soft-serve ice cream, offering another way to experience the flowers beyond simply seeing and smelling them.
The second-floor terrace provides a broad view of the rose garden and is an ideal place to take a break while enjoying the surrounding scenery.
Higashizawa Rose Park offers a variety of ways to appreciate roses, from their colors and shapes to their fragrances and flavors. The combination of the gardens and rose-themed food makes the visit a memorable sensory experience.
Surrounded by forests and lakes, Higashizawa Rose Park offers a peaceful natural setting as well as an impressive collection of roses from around the world.
The vast 7-hectare grounds become especially lively during the Rose Festival. A variety of events are held on weekends throughout the festival period, giving visitors opportunities to enjoy the park in different ways.
The park’s designation as one of the Ministry of the Environment’s “100 Fragrant Landscapes” reflects the importance of fragrance to the experience. It is also recognized as a “Lover’s Sanctuary”, making it a popular destination for couples.
The park contains several themed areas where visitors can discover different characteristics of roses. These include areas featuring roses associated with the Japanese Imperial Family and collections of especially fragrant varieties.
In addition to viewing the flowers, visitors can enjoy rose-themed sweets and pasta, browse a selection of rose-related goods, and purchase rose seedlings to take home.
Among the roses associated with the park are “Murayama,” an original rose from Murayama City, “Peace,” a famous rose regarded as a symbol of peace, and “Violet.”
Exploring the different sections of the garden provides an opportunity to compare the colors, forms, and fragrances of roses from different backgrounds and varieties.
The Rose Festival is generally held twice a year, during the main flowering periods in June and from mid- to late September.
During the festival periods, a variety of events are held throughout the park, adding to the atmosphere and providing additional ways to enjoy the roses.
An admission fee is charged during the Rose Festival periods. Visitors planning a trip around the flowering season should check the latest information before visiting.
The Fragrant Rose Area is located on the northern side of the park and is designed specifically for enjoying the scents of roses.
Visitors can experience seven different types of rose fragrances in this section, making it an especially interesting area for those who want to appreciate roses not only visually but also through their distinctive aromas.
Higashizawa Rose Park offers much more than a traditional flower garden. With approximately 20,000 rose bushes, 750 varieties, themed garden areas, fragrant roses, seasonal festivals, and rose-inspired food, it provides many ways to enjoy one of the world’s most beloved flowers.
Whether visiting during the colorful June bloom or the quieter autumn flowering season, travelers can stroll through the extensive gardens, enjoy the fragrances, taste rose-flavored treats, and take in the surrounding natural scenery of Murayama.
Rose Festival (early June to early July) 9:00-17:00
Autumn Rose Festival (mid to late September) 9:00-16:00
Open daily (April-October)
Only during the Rose Festival
Adults 600 yen
Elementary/junior high school students: 300 yen
Approx. 20 minutes walk from JR Murayama Station
Approximately 20 minutes from Higashine IC of Tohoku Chuo Expressway