Number of reviews 6/ Number of likes 7
Isshingyo Park
Isshingyo Park is beautifully located with views of the Aso Five Peaks and the surrounding mountains. The park is centered around the "Isshingyo no Ozakura," a majestic Yamazakura cherry tree that is approximately 400 years old and about 14 meters tall.
The park is really well landscaped, with lots of carefully maintained lawns and mature trees. These trees are perfect for relaxing in the shade on a hot day.
Hakone Gora Park
This first French-style formal garden in Japan was opened in 1914. The French garden is typically laid out on a vast flat land in symmetry with ponds and plants in geometric shapes. This park is unique because it is on a slope. Between the front gate and west gate, there is about 40m-drop as if the park was imposed in the middle of a slope.
When I visited, I happened to catch the hydrangeas in full bloom. If you have the Hakone Free Pass, you can enter for free.
Naritasan Park
On Naritasan temple grounds, there is an enormous park as big as 3.5 Tokyo Domes (165,000m2). In spring, 350 cherry trees blossom to delight visitors. The plum, wisteria, maple take turns to adorn the grounds throughout the year.
On the way from the parking lot to the park, there are lots of local specialties for sale, like Teppozuke pickles and peanuts.