Many flowers bloom in Ashikaga when you can feel the first hint of spring.
We recommend the Sakura Meguri, this is a scenic tour of the cherry blossoms when they begin to blossom in early April.
You can enjoy exploring for cherry blossom scenic spots as the city is dotted with sakura here and there, as well as enjoy the pink-colored view of sakura in Orihime Park and Bannaji Temple. The cherry blossoms featured in an international magazine along the path to Muryoin are breathtakingly beautiful.
The city is also colored by American dogwood and azalea flowers.
The best time to enjoy the Great Wisteria of Ashikaga Flower Park is just before and after Golden Week. The curtain of mauve spreading before you is stunning, and you will be amazed by the perfume of the white wisteria tunnel. Recently this has become very popular with tourists from overseas.
Please enjoy the glorious weather of spring and savor Ashikaga’s nature and history.
Summer A firework display of passionate summer
If you are enjoying the summer in Ashikaga, ‘Ashikaga Fireworks Festival’ is held on the first Saturday in August and has a history of over 100 years.
Every year many people visit the city and it is the most bustling day of the year in Ashikaga. There is an intense display of 20,000 beautiful fireworks in the sky above the Watarase River.
Some facilities (AshikagaGakko) will be free on the day of the fireworks so you can enjoy the whole day in Ashikaga.
If you are looking for a place to cool down in the heat of summer we recommend Matsuda Dam or The Nagusa Megalithic Group and the Community Hall, full of nature, guaranteed to make children smile. There is a tradition at the beginning of summer to see fantastic fireflies in this region of lush green.
Autumn The colors of the autumn leaves glowing in the rich nature of the mountains
A pleasure of Ashikaga in autumn is perhaps the autumn colors which can be seen all around the city.
The size of the gingko tree at Bannaji, loved by the locals, cannot be portrayed in photos and will overwhelm you and make you stop and look up.
When the gingko and maple trees at the Ashikaga Gakko historic site, said to be the oldest school in Japan, start to change the color you can feel the onset of autumn.
The trees in ‘Momiji-dani’ (maple valley) in Orihime Park turn a vivid color in autumn.
Why don’t you go a little further to Gyodosan Joinji Temple and enjoy hiking? The amazing scenery of the mountains will surround you, like the artworks by Katsushika Hokusai.
The ‘Ashikaga Autumn Festival’ is held in exciting November. The festivals begin with ‘Bannaji Temple Autumn Festival’ and ‘Ashikaga Orihime Shrine Autumn Parade’ in the early autumn to the ‘Ashikaga Gakko Festival’ and ‘Ashikaga Gourmet Grand Prix’ in mid-autumn. You can immerse yourself in a variety of events and feel first-hand the history and culture as well as gourmet of Ashikaga. Come and enjoy autumn in Ashikaga.
Winter A time to enjoy fantastic illumination displays, a parade of heroic armor clad samurai and heartwarming light
The season of illumination at the ‘Ashikaga Flower Park - The Garden of Light’ voted the best in Japan by illumination lovers, begins with the start of winter.
Each light, hand placed, appeals to visitors. The 5,000,000 balls of light become the theme in the wisteria trellises, rose garden, and in the lily pond. Visitors are wrapped in the gentle light and never tire of the scene.
During the depth of winter in February, visitors can see the Samurai Costume Parade just like a historic picture scroll. The story of Ashikaga starts with the Setsubun Samurai parade. The Ashikaga local festival is a place where you can enjoy Ashikaga-style food and art, and Meisen lights reflected in the clear winter air. Enjoy feeling the warmth of winter in Ashikaga.
Ashikaga: The Charms of the 4 seasons
