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[Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park in Engaru] One of Largest Cosmos Gardens in Japan and One of 3 Major Moss Pink Gardens in Okhotsk Area

September 16th, 2014

CONTENTS

Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park
List of Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park Tourist Attractions
List of Accommodations

Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park

Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park (太陽の丘えんがる公園) is a park near Engaru Station in the center of Engaru town located in the northwestern part of Kitami city. Cosmos Garden (コスモス園), Moss Pink Garden (シバザクラ園), Ganbou-iwa Rock (がんぼう岩), Miharashi Ranch (見晴らし牧場), Niji-no-Hiroba Administrative Building (虹のひろば管理棟), Hyotan Pond (ひょうたん池), Bunka Trainig House (文化研修館) and Sun HIll House (サンヒルハウス) are in the site. In the park, the moss pink, cherry blossoms, azaleas, tulips can be savored in a spring, and the cosmos can be enjoyed in an autumn. Especially, the Cosmos Garden is one of popular tourist attractions in Eastern Hokkaido, and is one of the largest cosmos gardens in Japan that a lot of tourists come. In addition, it is said that the moss pink garden is one of 3 major moss pink gardens in Okhotsk area along with Higashimokoto and Takinoue.

Movie of Cosmos Garden

A shop is at the Niji-no-Hiroba Administrative Building, and visitors can enjoy BBQ to bring ingredients there. A restraunt and a cafe are not built in the park, but the restraunts and a convenience store are at the foot of the Ganbou-iwa Rock. Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park (かみゆうべつチューリップ公園) and Setose Onsen (瀬戸瀬温泉) are relatively near here. A direct bus does not run between Sapporo or New Chitose Airport and here, but a express bus "Engaru-go (えんがる号)" runs between the Sapporo and the Engaru.

Higashimokoto Moss Pink Feastival

Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park (東藻琴芝桜公園) is in Higashimokoto, Ozora town located in the southern part of Abashiri city, and is well-known as one of the largest place famous for moss pink together with Shibazakura Takinoue Park (芝ざくら滝上公園), and Higashimokoto Moss Pink Feastival (東藻琴芝桜祭) is famous as one of 3 major Okhotsk Spring Festival together with Kamiyubetsu Tulip Festival (かみゆうべつチューリップフェスティバル) and Fairy Tale village Takinoue Moss Pink Festival (童話村たきのうえ芝ざくらまつり). The Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park surrounded by fields is developed with containing hillslope along Hokkaido Road 102. It is the origin of the park that Mr. Suekichi Nakabachi (中鉢末吉) planted the moss pink that he grew at his home on the steep slope in 1977. The moss pink is a perennial plant of the family polemoniaceae native of North America, and is a kind of the phlox. He expanded the moss pink field of 1 ha a year, and now the park space is 100,000 m2. I think that visitors must be very impressed by the moss pink over the steep slope. When I drove my car on the road, the pink moss came into my sight, and I was very moved. You will be moved by beautiful red, pink, purple and white color, too. Admission is charged, but a parking lot is free of charge. Except the Higashimokoto Moss Pink Feastival season, admission free. Article is here

Fairy Tale village Takinoue Moss Pink Festival

Shibazakura Takinoue Park (芝ざくら滝上公園) is in Takinoue town located in the northeastern part of Asahikawa city, and is well-known as one of the largest place famous for moss pink together with Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park (東藻琴芝桜公園), and Fairy Tale village Takinoue Moss Pink Festival (童話村たきのうえ芝ざくらまつり) is famous as one of 3 major Okhotsk Spring Festival together with Kamiyubetsu Tulip Festival (かみゆうべつチューリップフェスティバル) and Higashimokoto Moss Pink Feastival (東藻琴芝桜祭). The park is near the center of the Takinoue, and is developed on a hillslope. It is the origin of the park that Takinoue people planted moss pink from a cardboard box for mandarin oranges in 1958. The moss pink is a perennial plant of the family polemoniaceae native of North America, and is a kind of the phlox. They expanded the moss pink field every year, and now the park space is 100,000 m2. Admission is charged, but a parking lot is free of charge. Except the Fairy Tale village Takinoue Moss Pink Festival season, admission free. Article is here

Kamiyubetsu Tulip Fair

Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park (かみゆうべつチューリップ公園) is in in Kamiyubetsu, Yubetsu town located in the northern part of Kitami city, and is well-known as 2 major places famous for tulips together with Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park (滝野すずらん公園), and the Kamiyubetsu Tulip Fair (かみゆうべつチューリップフェア) is famous as one of 3 major Okhotsk Spring Festivals together with Higashimokoto Moss Pink Feastival (東藻琴芝桜祭) and Fairy Tale village Takinoue Moss Pink Festival (童話村たきのうえ芝ざくらまつり). The park surrounded by fields is developed as a flower field along Oketo National Route (National Route 242). It is the origin of the Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park that Mr. Terunori Nishikawa (西川照憲) planted a tulip, and described here as old people's farm in 1957. About 200 kinds of 1.2 million tulips are planted on the site of 700,000 m2 at present. I think that visitors must be very impressed by colorful tulip lines on the flatland. Admission is charged, but a parking lot is free of charge. Except the Kamiyubetsu Tulip Fair season, admission free. Article is here

Setose Onsen

Setose Onsen (瀬戸瀬温泉) is a hot spring place in Engaru town located in the northwestern part of Kitami city. The distance is around 20 km far away from the center of the Engaru, and only Setose Onsen Hotel (セトセ温泉ホテル) is built at about 340 above sea level around a traffic gate along Hokkaido Road 493 in the heart of mountains in Engaru. Here has just an atomosphere of secret onsen. Unfortunately, restraunts, cafes, cafes, souvenir shops and convenience stores are not built. Article is here

List of Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park Tourist Attractions

The Cosmos Garden, the Moss Pink Garden, the Ganbou-Rock, the Miharashi Ranch, the Hyotan Pond and Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park Campsite (太陽の丘えんがる公園キャンプ場) are in the park. My visited places are as follows.

Cosmos Garden

The Cosmos Garden in the west side of the park is one of the largest cosmos gardens in the Japan, and 10 million cosmoses are planted on the garden of about 10 ha. The gardens roughly divided into 12 cosmos gardens, and 16 kinds or more such as Tetra Versailles Red Cosmos, Double Click Cosmos, bloom. The visitors will be moved by the colorful cosmoses because the number of the colors varies according to kinds of cosmos. The cosmoses are in full bloom from late August to late September. Admission is JPY 300 during Taiyo-no-Oka Cosmos Festival (太陽の丘コスモスフェスタ). A parking lot is free of charge. Admission free out of season.

The Niji-no-Hiroba Administrative Building with a restraunt, a shop and a restrrom is built in the garden. A L-shaped bell "Bell of the Love (愛の鐘)" is on a gentle hillside, and only a pair of couple can make a wedding ceremony while being surrounded by cosmoses. It seems to be the special memory for the couple. The garden is large, so it takes about 1-2 hours on foot. You may be tired because of a difference of elevation, so you had better wear comfortable shoes.

Movie of Cosmos Wedding

Atmosphere of Cosmos Garden Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Cosmos Garden

Admission fee	Adult: JPY 300. Child: JPY 150.
Parking lot	A pay parking lot is provided (300 cars).
Business hour	09:00-17:00
Regular closing day	From November 01 to April 28
Telephone number	+81-158-42-4819
Home page	Home page is here
Mapcode	404 211 013*04

Moss Pink Garden

The Moss Pink Garden in the east side of the park is full in bloom from mid May to early June on a hillside of about 150 m height. It takes about 30 minutes to look around because of not large. You may be tired because of a difference of elevation, so you had better wear comfortable shoes. A public restroom and a parking lot are on the site. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. A flowering event "Hana Manpuku Hiroba (花★満腹ひろば)" is held in late May. In addition, the moss pink is lit up in the evening during some days.

Atmosphere of Moss Pink Garden Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Moss Pink Garden

Admission fee	Free of charge
Parking lot	-
Business hour	24 hours
Regular closing day	From November 01 to April 28
Telephone number	+81-158-42-8360
Home page	Home page is here
Mapcode	404 181 718*72

Ganbou-iwa Rock

Ganbou-iwa Rock (がんぼう岩) is a huge monolith in Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park (太陽の丘えんがる公園), Engaru town located in the northwestern part of Kitami city, and was born by volcanic explosion about 7,300,000 years ago. The Ganbou means "A place with with a fine view" in Ainu language, and the Engaru is derived from it. A legend credits a place that Tokachi Ainu (十勝アイヌ) fought against Yubetsu Ainu (湧別アイヌ) in Ainu period. Its height is 78 m, and it was used as a watch-place. For the form outstanding conspicuously, it has became a symbol of Engaru. Article is here

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations around the Taiyo-no-Oka Engaru Park. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Hotel Sunshine(ホテルサンシャイン)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Business Hotel Takahashi Inn(ビジネスホテルタカハシイン)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Business Hotel Takahashi(ビジネスホテルタカハシ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten