Nabana no Sato

Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) is a theme park on the island of Nagashima in Kuwana. The main focus is flowers, but it also has an onsen, a number of restaurants, some traditional shops, and most notably one of Japan's finest winter illuminations.

Along with Nagashima Spa Land, it is part of the Nagashima Onsen (長島温泉) resort area.

Facilities

Flower Park

The Nabana no Sato grounds are home to numerous sections dedicated to flowers and the types of flowers will change throughout the year. There are so many types of flowers that bloom at the park that even if you went every weekend it is unlikely that you'd ever see the exact same display.

The biggest yearly showing of flowers is the big hydrangea display (ajisai matsuri) in early summer. Sakura, tulips, and dalias also get major displays as well.

Illumination

One of the best light shows in all of Japan. It runs for 4 full months (from mid November - mid March). Among other things, there is a tunnel of light, a cloud of lights, one of the major flower display areas is turned into an "aurora", the lake is lit up with lights, and more.

It is definitely worth seeing in your time in Mie and it is one of the most well-known tourist attractions in the area. As it is so popular, it is often fairly crowded on weekends so if you live close enough to make it up on a weekday instead that is recommended.

Restaurants

Around the lake in the center of the village, there are a number of restaurants. The fare and selection is similar to what you would find at the standard large shopping center, with one major exception: a full size beer hall with its own locally brewed beer called the Nagashima Beer Garden (長島地ビール園 nagashima ji-biiru en). It has 3 types of local beer, plus some tasty snack foods commonly found at izakaya.

Onsen

There is also an onsen on the premises, near the big lake in the middle of the village. Soak in the onsen while taking in some of the flowery scenery.

Hours

• Park Facilities - 09:00~21:00
• Village Onsen - 10:00~21:00
• Marketplace - 09:00~17:00

Price

It is a little expensive considering that most things in the park (other than just looking at flowers) require additional money, however keep in mind that when you pay the entry fee you get ¥1000 worth of coupons to be used within the park. The coupons can be used at the restaurants and most (but not all) of the other facilities. If you make use of these, it effectively drops ¥1000 off the admission price.

• Standard : ¥1500
• Winter : ¥2000

Contact

• 〒511-1144　三重県桑名市長島町駒江270
• 270 Komae, Nagashima-chō, Kuwana-shi, Mie-ken, 511-1144
• 0594-41-0787

Links

• Nabana no Sato - Official site
• Nabana no Sato Guidemaps (English available)