Ashikaga Flower Park’s “Garden of Flowers of Light” 2026–2027 Runs Until February 14; New Displays for the 25th Anniversary and Prices

The illumination “Garden of Flowers of Light: Flower Fantasy 2026-2027” is under way at Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. It runs from Saturday, October 17, 2026 to Sunday, February 14, 2027, and the park is closed only on Thursday, December 31. Now in its 25th year, the event lights more than 5 million bulbs across the 100,000-square-meter park. The evening session runs from 15:30 to 20:30 (until 21:00 on weekends and holidays), and admission is 1,500 yen for adults. For the 25th anniversary, new displays such as a 21-meter-tall Christmas tree have been added.

The 25th “Garden of Flowers of Light”: what a flower park shows on winter nights

Ashikaga Flower Park is a flower park known for “Fuji no Hana Monogatari” (Wisteria Story), its spring wisteria event. The official website notes that the park’s “Miracle Great Wisteria” has grown from 72 square meters when the park opened to 1,000 square meters. In the winter illumination, seasonal flowers, led by this wisteria, are depicted in light and combined with light-ups of winter flowers actually in bloom.

Ashikaga Flower Resort Co., Ltd., which operates the park, says it received the top prize at the International Illumination Awards in November 2025. The award goes to the best facility of the year, and the company describes it as having “won the title of Japan’s best.” The park has also been certified for the third time as one of Japan’s Three Great Illuminations.

This season, more displays combine fragrance with light. According to an announcement on October 14, 2026, the scent of the park’s great wisteria was collected and recreated with the cooperation of a fragrance manufacturer with more than 200 years of history. Fragrance effects also extend to the Flower Castle, the Rose Garden of Light and other areas. It is an attempt to recreate even the scent of spring, along with wisteria made of light, on winter nights when no wisteria blooms.

Highlights: new displays for the 2026–2027 season

The main displays listed in the press release are as follows. The Great Christmas Tree and the Flower Road are new this season, and the Rose Garden of Light and Snow World have been renewed.

• Great Christmas Tree: a 21-meter tree standing beyond the main gate, positioned as a new photo spot.

• Flower Castle & Flower Road: a fairy-tale castle decorated with flowers, with a rose-scented fragrance effect inside. The adjoining Flower Road spells out messages to visitors in light.

• Rose Garden of Light: three-dimensional decorations evoking roses, with a 120-meter-wide mural of light. A fragrance effect has also been added.

• Snow World: a 20-meter-high, 65-meter-wide mural of light works in tandem with an illumination tower to depict the aurora and snow crystals.

• Miracle Great Wisteria: recreates in light the great wisteria from its first blossoms through full bloom to falling petals.

• The Four Seasons of Japan, “Home of the Heart”: depicts Japan’s four seasons in light, with projection mapping on a rock garden.

• Wisteria Story of Light: depicts wisteria in four colors: pale pink, the great wisteria’s purple, white and yellow. A fragrance effect has been added this season.

• Our Earth: a work on the theme that humans, animals and plants all share one “Earth.” It uses the water surface to make the light appear twice as abundant.

When do the three themes change?

During the event, three themes change with the seasons. Dates and hours may change depending on how the flowers are blooming.

• October 17 to mid-November: “Collaboration of Light and Flowers: Fusion of Light and Amethyst Sage”

• Late November to late December: “Christmas at the Flower Park: Christmas Fantasy.” A program limited to the Christmas period, featuring a Christmas version of the Flower Castle.

• New Year’s Day to February 14: “New Year Illumination: Light and Winter-Blooming Peonies.” Winter-blooming peonies, wintersweet and kankobai plum blossoms are lit up, and a New Year version of the Miracle Great Wisteria is shown.

Tickets, prices and opening hours

During the event, the daytime and evening sessions are separate, and an evening session ticket is required from the shopping area onward. Re-entry is not permitted. According to the press release and the price page on the official website, evening admission is 1,500 yen for adults and 800 yen for children (age 4 through elementary school). However, the special event page shows 900 yen for children, so check before visiting.

Advance tickets, valid for the evening session only, are sold at convenience stores nationwide and online. They cost 1,450 yen for adults and 750 yen for children and allow entry without lining up at the ticket counter. Junior high and high school students get 300 yen off (for the student only) by showing a student ID at evening sessions from Saturday, October 17 to Wednesday, December 30.

The evening session runs from 15:30 to 20:30 (until 21:00 on weekends and holidays). From Saturday, November 7 to Sunday, January 3, hours are extended until 21:00 on weekdays and 21:30 on weekends and holidays, and from December 24 to 30 the park is open until 21:30 every day. The lights come on around 17:00, or around 16:30 from November 7 to January 3. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing.

Access and notes on crowds

By train, the nearest station is Ashikaga Flower Park Station on the JR Ryomo Line. The station opened in April 2018, and the official website describes it as the first new JR station in Tochigi Prefecture in 35 years. Since the station is expected to be very crowded on the way home, the park recommends leaving early and topping up IC transit cards in advance.

By car, it takes about 20 minutes from the Sano-Fujioka IC on the Tohoku Expressway via National Route 50 (under normal conditions). There are also routes from the Ashikaga IC and Sano-Tanuma IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway, the Izuruhara Smart IC and elsewhere. Parking is free, and during busy periods about 6,000 spaces are available, including temporary lots. The official website says that weekdays are relatively easy for getting to the park.

The dates and lighting hours of illuminations across the Kanto region are covered in our [2026–2027] Winter Illuminations in Tokyo and the Kanto Region, and Sagamiko Illumillion, which runs until May, is introduced in a separate article.

Frequently asked questions

Can I stay from the daytime session into the evening?

During the illumination period, the daytime and evening sessions are separate, and re-entry is not permitted. To see the evening illumination, you need an evening session ticket.

Can I take photos or use a tripod?

According to the FAQ on the official website, cameras may be brought in and photos taken. Tripods should be used with care so as not to obstruct the paths, and visitors may be asked to refrain from using them in crowded areas. Live streaming from inside the park and bringing in drones are not permitted.

Can I bring food and drink or pets?

Food and drink may not be brought in, and pets are not allowed, except for assistance dogs (guide dogs, service dogs and hearing dogs). The restaurant in the park offers limited-time course meals.

Overview

Name: Garden of Flowers of Light: Flower Fantasy 2026-2027
Dates: Saturday, October 17, 2026 – Sunday, February 14, 2027 (closed Thursday, December 31)
Hours: Evening session 15:30–20:30 (until 21:00 on weekends and holidays). From Saturday, November 7 to Sunday, January 3, until 21:00 on weekdays and 21:30 on weekends and holidays; from December 24 to 30, until 21:30 every day
Venue: Ashikaga Flower Park
Address: 607 Hasama-cho, Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture
Admission: Evening session: adults 1,500 yen, children (age 4 through elementary school) 800 yen (the special page shows 900 yen for children). Advance tickets: adults 1,450 yen, children 750 yen
Operator: Ashikaga Flower Resort Co., Ltd.
Official website: https://www.ashikaga.co.jp/flowerfantasy_special2026/jp/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: from a press release by Ashikaga Flower Resort Co., Ltd.

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on a press release from Ashikaga Flower Resort Co., Ltd. (October 14, 2026) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team