Ashikaga is a small city in southern Tochigi Prefecture, a perfect day-trip location just north of Tokyo. Tochigi's capital city is Nikko, which is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites. No surprise, as Tochigi itself, is overflowing with the greenery of its many National Parks and colourful natural landscapes.

Autumn hues in the Maple Valley of Orihime Park
Ashikaga's city centre is home to a small mountain named Mount Orihime. This reflects the city's long history of producing textiles, as the mountain is named after the Weaver princess of Japanese folklore. On the mountain you can find Orihime park, which has an area rightfully titled 'Momiji-dani' - or - the Maple Valley.

During autumn, the 1000 Maple trees are dyed brilliant shades of reds and yellows that contrast against the crisp blue autumn skies. The leaves begin changing colour in early November, with the peak in mid to late November. Maple Valley is a wonderful place for travellers to walk through the serene park and breathe the fresh air. From the lookout point in the north of the park, travellers can also see Tokyo Skytree on the horizon. You can get to Orihime Park with a short walk from Ashikagashi Station

Winter to Spring at Ashikaga Flower Park
In recent years, Ashikaga Flower Park has been spotlighted internationally through social media coverage - mostly for their wisteria trees. In 2014 the park was chosen as one of “The Top 10 Dream Destinations Around the World” by CNN Travel for its enchanting scenery.
The 23-acre park features numerous seasonal flowers such as roses, purple sage and azaleas, as well as the hundreds of wisteria trees with flowers that blossom in various shades of purple, blue, pink and white. There are also yellow-flowered Laburnum trees - which bloom in a way that resembles wisteria flowers. The oldest tree in the park is over 150 years old and spreads over 1,000 square metres, creating a canopy of purple blossoms you can wander through. The best time to visit the park is in May so that you can see the wisteria while they are in full bloom.

In the colder season, from the end of October to early February, the park comes alive with the 'Garden of Light' illuminations. This nightly event of 3.5 million LED lights bring colour to the wisteria trellises, rose garden and in the lily pond. The event has won Japan's Illumination Awards three consecutive times and is considered to be one of the top three illumination events in the country. This is a wonderful place to spend time with loved ones under the winter sky. Visitors can access the Ashikaga Flower Park by shuttle bus or taxi from Ashikaga-shi Station.

From Asakusa Station, the Ashikaga area is accessible in a convenient 75-minute journey with the TOBU RAILWAY.

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About Tobu Railway/Group
The Tobu Railway Co., Ltd. is one of Japan's largest commuter railway networks which operate in Tokyo as well as in large portions of the surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Saitama, Gunma, and Tochigi. It opened in 1899 and was the first railway in the Kanto region to adopt the use of quadruple tracks, and to this day is Kanto's largest private railway. Tobu Railways is part of the Tobu Group, which is engaged in other transportation sectors such as bus and taxis, they also operate Department stores, hotels, health clubs, golf courses and theme parks, as real-estate. They are the largest investor in the Tokyo Skytree - the tallest structure in Japan, which is the centrepiece of the large commercial development.
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