The roses at Yamashita Park are beautiful!!
May 3, Nihon Odori was bustling with visitors for The Yokohama Parade and the special public opening of the Kanagawa Prefectural Government Main Building, also known as the King’s Tower. From there, we took a walk to Yamashita Park, and the roses were blooming far more beautifully than we expected.
I thought it might still be a little early for roses, but they were blooming much more than I expected!!
Inside the park, roses in many colors, including pink, red, yellow, and white, were blooming beautifully. There were still many buds, so it felt more like the beginning of the best viewing season rather than full bloom. Still, the flowers that had already opened were fresh and vivid, making the park feel wonderfully cheerful just by walking through it.
The petals also had very little damage. They had that fresh beauty that only newly blooming roses have.
Yellow roses and soft pink roses were also blooming, and the atmosphere changed little by little depending on where you walked. Many flowers had not fully opened yet, so it looks like the garden will become even more gorgeous from here.
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Crowds and Rose Blooming Conditions at Yamashita Park During Golden Week
On May 3, Yamashita Park was lively with tourists, families, and people taking photos, as it was during Golden Week.
That said, the area around the rose garden is spacious, so it did not feel too crowded to enjoy the flowers. Some people were resting on benches, some were taking commemorative photos with the roses in the background, and others were strolling slowly toward Hikawa Maru. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the park at their own pace.
As for the roses, many bushes were already blooming beautifully, while quite a few buds still remained. Overall, they were just before full bloom, but the garden was already enjoyable enough even during Golden Week. In fact, for those who want to photograph fresh roses just after they have started blooming, it felt like a very good timing.
They weren’t in full bloom yet, but there were so many freshly opened roses, and they were really beautiful!
The Unique Charm of Yamashita Park’s Roses
What makes the roses at Yamashita Park so lovely is not just the beauty of the flowers themselves.
In the rose garden, roses in various colors such as red, pink, yellow, and white are blooming, and the view changes depending on where you walk. Some roses bloom low to the ground, some climb along arches and supports, and others can be enjoyed together with the greenery in the background. The whole garden has a wonderful sense of depth.
Another thing that feels very Yamashita Park is that you can enjoy the roses together with Yokohama’s scenery. Roses with Hikawa Maru in the background, roses seen together with Hotel New Grand, and roses photographed with Yokohama Marine Tower in the frame all create a port-town atmosphere that feels a little different from an ordinary rose garden.
The combination of Hikawa Maru and roses is especially typical of Yamashita Park. Because you can capture both the port-town scenery and seasonal flowers in one shot, it is perfect for a Yokohama travel memory!
Being able to photograph Hikawa Maru and roses together is something unique to Yamashita Park. It instantly gives the scene that Yokohama feeling!
In areas where you can see Hotel New Grand and Yokohama Marine Tower, you can also feel the classic atmosphere of Yokohama. It is lovely to take your time admiring the roses themselves, but enjoying them together with the cityscape and harbor views is also highly recommended.
The Peak Viewing Time May Be Around Mid-May
The roses were already beautiful enough as of May 3, but looking back at the photos, there were still quite a few bushes with many buds.
For that reason, if you want to enjoy the roses at Yamashita Park in an even more gorgeous state, mid-May looks very promising. Golden Week seems to be the time to enjoy the vivid beauty of freshly blooming roses. From there, the number of flowers will likely increase little by little, giving the entire rose garden more volume.
On the other hand, as the roses get closer to full bloom, the number of flowers increases, but depending on the weather, more flowers may also start to show damage. For those who want to photograph roses just after they have bloomed beautifully, the Golden Week timing also felt like a very good choice.
There were still many buds, so it looks like it will become even more beautiful from here. It makes me want to go see them again in mid-May!
Access to Yamashita Park
Yamashita Park is just a short walk from Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line. It is an easy place to visit together with other Yokohama sightseeing spots.
- Nearest station: Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line
- Access: About a 3-minute walk from Motomachi-Chukagai Station
- Nearby spots: Hikawa Maru, Yokohama Marine Tower, Hotel New Grand, Yokohama Chinatown, Harbor View Park
Summary
The roses at Yamashita Park on May 3 were still a little early for full bloom, but they were already well worth seeing. Even during Golden Week, we were able to enjoy beautiful roses.
Since many buds still remained, the garden will likely become even more gorgeous toward mid-May. Being able to enjoy the roses together with Hikawa Maru, Hotel New Grand, and Yokohama Marine Tower is something truly unique to Yamashita Park.
It is perfect for a Golden Week stroll in Yokohama or an early-summer outing. Be sure to visit Yamashita Park and enjoy the roses!
