In Kashiwa in Chiba prefecture, Akebono Agriculture Park is a beautiful park with plenty to see and do. There is a big windmill which is the symbol of the park, and all year round you can see seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms and tulips in spring, hydrangeas in rainy season, and sunflowers in summer. Especially, the tulip field is very famous, and many tourists visit the park during the season.
There are many facilities in the park, and children can enjoy the Furusato open space, where there's a well-equipped playground. It is very large so that they can even play soccer! There is a shop close by, so you can buy some snacks and drinks.
Also, there is the agricultural cafeteria nearby where you can have lunch! There are some vegetable dishes and they are tasty! You can try many things there and a lot of families come to the park on holidays.
There's also the “bamboo forest” and Sakura Mountain, full of nature. You will feel relaxed when you walk into the bamboo forest. Also, look no further as cherry blossoms can be viewed by the hillside making it a great place for those who wish to take a photo.
On the same site there's Akebonoyama Park, and next to the park there's Tokai-ji, a peaceful Buddhist temple. You can see the tasteful Japanese garden in the park. When I visited the garden, there were only a few people, so if you want to relax, I recommend a visit to the garden. Tokai-ji is one of the three Benten temples in the Kanto area, and you can enjoy the great architecture there!
If you visit Kashiwa with your family, I definitely recommend a visit to the park!
Getting there
There are several parking lots and you can reach the park easily by car. The park is a little bit far away from the station, but you can take a bus from Kashiwa station (JR Joban line, Tobu Urban Park line) or Abiko station (JR Joban line, JR Narita line).
