Niigata Prefecture - More than Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms are the flowers on everyone’s lips when a Japanese spring is mentioned, but after having moved to Niigata, I know that there many other varieties of flowers to enjoy year round.  Now that the sakura petals have mostly fallen, Niigata residents like myself are enjoying tulips in many locations across the prefecture.

One of the advantages to viewing the glorious tulips is that it’s easy to maintain social distance while viewing them.  North of Niigata, there is a 2 hectare field with approximately 60 different varieties and nearly a million tulips planted all over that land.  I initially had a difficult time conceptualizing the idea of how big a hectare is, but I heard that most sports fields are around the same size.  For Niigata locals, that’s about two Denka Big Swan sports stadiums pushed together in a luxurious carpet of shining tulip blossoms.  And that is just one of the locations that offer such flowering sights.  And with that much land set aside for the tulips, there’s thousands of specimens to enjoy at a safe distance.  Beyond that, at this location, you will be able to see the tulips with a bird’s eye view because there are helicopter rides offered so you can take in the entire expanse of the nearly million photo ops.

Niigata has the most tulips produced of any prefecture, and considering Niigata is home beautiful tulips, sakura, saké, and the country’s best rice, which is in the process of being planted at this very moment, local residents, in spite of social distancing mandates, can enjoy the fruits of nature in Niigata prefecture without having to do any serious traveling.

In another Niigata location that boasts 1.5 million tulips, everyone will find a tulip variety that they connect to and will make the perfect photo op.   Another aerial option is riding in a hot air balloon to enjoy the view of the tulips from above.  During peak viewing times, you can see a hot air balloon aloft countless times in less than one hour.  I always have to remind myself not just to look down at the tulips, but to also take in the breathtaking seascapes and landscapes around them, as the ride in the hot air balloon is a chance to explore a different photographic perspective, and that’s what I’m always doing while I chase the light (and the flowers).