Stretching along the coastal hills of Yokosuka, Nagai Uminote Park Soleil Hill offers a playful blend of nature, seasonal flowers, and seaside leisure. With open views across Sagami Bay and, on clear days, a silhouette of Mount Fuji rising beyond the horizon, the park feels spacious and refreshing, even at its busiest. Seasonal flower fields form the heart of the landscape: canola blossoms in winter, baby blue nemophila in spring, sunflowers through summer, and soft cosmos in autumn, each bloom filling the gentle slopes with color.

Beyond the scenery, Soleil Hill is designed for full-day enjoyment. Children can scale the athletic course or ride the Ferris wheel, while adults unwind in shaded picnic spots or seaside cafés. Animal lovers will find a friendly petting zoo, and summer visitors can cool off in a splash park or ride the zip line. Whether you’re stopping by for a peaceful stroll or camping overnight by the coast, the park’s relaxed pace, coastal breezes, and seasonal rhythms create a lighthearted getaway just outside Tokyo.

In spring, Hitsujiyama Park becomes a living tapestry of color as over 400,000 moss phlox [芝桜, shibazakura] blanket the hillside during its celebrated Shibazakura Festival. With the rugged silhouette of Mount Buko as its backdrop, the carefully arranged flower beds form a gradient of pinks, purples, and whites, creating one of the most striking seasonal landscapes in Saitama Prefecture. The tiered layout encourages slow walks and sweeping views, making it especially popular among photographers and day-trippers alike.

Beyond the blooms, the park offers a range of simple joys: a working sheep farm, where visitors can meet Corriedale sheep; cherry trees that bloom just before the shibazakura; and autumn foliage that fills the forested paths with warm tones later in the year. The open lawns and forested walking trails give the park a relaxed, family-friendly feel, while festival season adds local flavor with food stalls, cultural events, and occasional live performances. Whether you’re there for the flowers or the atmosphere, Hitsujiyama Park provides a layered experience shaped by the rhythm of the seasons.

Set on a gentle hillside overlooking Kasama city, Kasama Azalea Park offers a seasonal canvas of color and calm. Each spring, the landscape is transformed as over 8,500 azalea bushes bloom across seven hectares, spilling red, pink, and purple hues along winding paths that climb toward a panoramic summit. Originally planted by local residents in the 1960s, the park today stands as a vibrant tribute to community care and seasonal celebration.

The Azalea Festival brings added energy, with traditional drumming, music, and tea gatherings set amid the floral scenery. After dusk, the “Night Azalea” event bathes the paths in soft bamboo lantern light, giving the park an entirely new character. The park’s layout accommodates a variety of visitors: smoother walking routes, modest hiking trails, and accessible paths with electric wheelchair rental stations at select gates. At the top, a stone Kannon statue watches over the landscape, offering a spiritual stillness above the color.

Tucked along the southern edge of Lake Inbanuma, Sakura Hometown Square offers a rare combination of pastoral charm and subtle cultural layering. The centerpiece here is the striking De Liefde windmill, a fully functional Dutch-style structure built in 1994 by master millwrights from the Netherlands. Its slowly turning sails give the landscape a surprising European accent, echoing centuries-old ties between Japan and the Netherlands.

Across the seasons, wide flower fields unfurl around the windmill in waves of color, tulips in spring, sunflowers in summer, and cosmos in early autumn. These plantings draw photographers and day-trippers alike, offering wide, low-angle views ideal for capturing sky and bloom together. The square is also a gentle base for exploring the Inbanuma Cycling Road, a 27 km lakeside loop with bike rentals available on site. Come spring, a small sightseeing boat quietly glides through the nearby reedbeds, offering a peaceful, water-level perspective of the landscape.