Nagaoka's Echigo Hillside Park is a stunning garden and recreational area, and it's home to some beautiful floral displays throughout the year. Cosmos bloom prolifically across the park grounds during the autumn season, and during this time a festival is held to celebrate their beauty.
Somewhere around a quarter of a million flowers in shades of red, white, and pink fill the park's flower hill, making it a stunning spot for some fun photos. Another section will be filled with just yellow cosmos, creating a dreamy golden glow.
Adorably, the park has even planted a section with a dwarf cosmos variety, so that children can enjoy the blooms at eye-level.
The park does have an admission fee (450 JPY for adults), but junior high school-aged students and below receive free admission.
Getting there
Echigo Hillside Park is located around a 10 minute drive from the Nagaoka Interchange of the Kanetsu Expressway. Paid on-site parking is available, at a cost of 320 yen for regular vehicles.
Buses are also available from Nagaoka Station (Joetsu Shinkansen, Joetsu Local Line, and Shin'etsu Main Line) to the park. Head out of the Ote Exit, and take the New Town Bus via Sekihara from Platform 6. The bus ride from the station to the park takes just over 30 minutes.
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