Ohori Park is a spacious urban park in Chuo Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Despite being surrounded by the activity of the city, it offers a peaceful retreat where visitors can enjoy abundant greenery, open water, and a relaxing natural atmosphere. At the heart of the park lies a large pond, whose scenic combination of water and vegetation provides a welcome escape from the urban bustle.
The park covers approximately 39.7 hectares, of which about 22.7 hectares consist of water, making it one of Japan’s notable water-centered urban parks. A circular path approximately 2 kilometers long runs around the central Ohori Pond. Walkers, joggers, and cyclists can regularly be seen enjoying the route and its tranquil views.
Several islands lie within the pond and are connected by bridges. One of the park’s most recognizable landmarks is Ukimido, a pavilion distinguished by its vivid vermilion color. Its reflection on the water creates an especially beautiful scene, making it a popular spot for photography.
Ohori Park offers different natural scenery throughout the year, with each season bringing its own colors and atmosphere.
In spring, cherry blossoms and tulips bloom across the park, filling the grounds with color. Flowers around the pond add to the seasonal beauty and make the arrival of spring especially noticeable during a walk along the water.
During summer, the fresh green foliage creates a lush landscape. Breezes blowing across the broad pond provide a welcome sense of coolness, while blooming sunflowers offer another seasonal highlight.
In autumn, the trees turn shades of red and yellow, creating a colorful landscape around the pond and walking paths. Cosmos flowers and the autumn colors of flowering dogwood add further interest, giving the park a calm and atmospheric character.
Winter brings a quieter atmosphere, along with opportunities to observe migratory birds gathering around the water. Their presence highlights the richness of the park’s waterside ecosystem.
Ohori Park is also known as a habitat for wild birds and is an appealing destination for birdwatchers. In winter, migratory species such as black-headed gulls, Eurasian wigeons, and mallards arrive at the pond, attracting birdwatching enthusiasts.
Grey herons and great cormorants can also be observed throughout the year, allowing visitors to experience the wildlife associated with a waterside environment at close range.
On the southern side of the park is the Ohori Park Japanese Garden, which covers approximately 1.2 hectares. Created in 1979, the garden incorporates the traditional Japanese strolling-garden style known as tsukiyama-rinsen-kaiyushiki, which combines artificial hills, woodland, ponds, and paths for walking around the landscape. Traditional garden design is blended with a sense of modern beauty.
The garden features a waterfall, a stream, and a large pond, creating scenery reminiscent of a walk through a natural mountain landscape. White earthen walls and surrounding woodland enclose the grounds, creating a quiet atmosphere that can make visitors forget they are in the middle of a city.
The garden contains a traditional tea room and a tea-gathering hall used for tea-related experiences and various cultural events. The roji, or garden approach associated with the tea ceremony, features a moss garden, stepping stones, and stone lanterns. Together, these elements offer visitors an opportunity to appreciate the depth and subtlety of Japanese garden culture.
The Fukuoka Art Museum is located within the park and offers visitors the opportunity to view outstanding works of art from Japan and abroad. The chance to combine cultural exploration with time in nature is one of Ohori Park’s distinctive attractions.
At the boat house, visitors can rent swan-shaped pedal boats and traditional rowing boats. Exploring the pond from the water provides a different perspective on the park’s scenery and is a popular activity for families and couples.
Kujira Park on the eastern side and Donguri Park on the western side offer a variety of play equipment. These playgrounds provide spaces where children can play freely while families enjoy a visit to the park.
The approximately 2-kilometer circular path around the pond is surfaced with rubber chips, providing a more comfortable and foot-friendly route for exercise. Distance markers are installed along the path, making it suitable for regular jogging, walking, and fitness activities.
After sunset, the area around Nakanoshima is illuminated, and the lights reflected on the surface of the pond create an atmospheric nighttime scene. The colors change with the seasons, offering a different experience from the park’s daytime landscape.
The origins of present-day Ohori Park can be traced to the outer moat of Fukuoka Castle, built during the Edo period. The area was originally part of Kusagae, an inlet of Hakata Bay. Kuroda Nagamasa developed the inlet into an outer moat as part of the castle’s defenses.
After Fukuoka Castle was abandoned during the Meiji period, the area fell into a state of neglect for a time. It was redeveloped as an urban park in 1929, the fourth year of the Showa era, and gradually transformed into the park seen today. Through repeated improvements and renovations, it has developed into an attractive urban destination where nature, culture, and recreation come together.
Scattered throughout the park are features that reflect its cultural and historical character, including stone monuments inscribed with poems from the Manyoshu, Japan’s oldest surviving anthology of poetry, as well as sculptural works. Exploring these features during a walk offers another way to discover the park’s appeal.
Ohori Park is conveniently located a short walk from Ohori Park Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line. Bus services also connect the area with other parts of the city, making the park easy to visit during a stay in Fukuoka.
The park itself is open around the clock. However, facilities within the grounds, including the Japanese Garden and Fukuoka Art Museum, have their own opening hours and admission requirements, so visitors should check the details of individual facilities before visiting.
Ohori Park is an urban destination where history, nature, and culture blend harmoniously. Its seasonal scenery, diverse facilities, and peaceful waterside landscape offer something to discover on every visit. Whether taking a leisurely walk, watching birds, enjoying a boat ride, visiting the Japanese Garden, or exploring the art museum, visitors can find a welcome break from the pace of everyday life.
When visiting Fukuoka, take time to explore this beautiful urban oasis and enjoy its distinctive atmosphere at a relaxed pace.
Japanese Garden
May - September: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
October - April: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Japanese Garden
Every Monday (or the following day if Monday is a holiday)
(If Monday is a holiday, the following day will be closed.)
Japanese Garden: December 29 - January 3
Japanese Garden Entrance Fee
Adults 250 yen
Children 120 yen (under 15 years old)
5 min. walk from Subway Ohori Koen Stn. → Nishitetsu Bus “Nishi Koen” stop
10 min. walk from Ohori Station