Pinterest Favorite, Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Tunnel

If you are reading this post, you have probably seen photos of the beautiful wisteria tunnel in Japan.  In fact, you’ve probably pinned it. Kawachi Fujien (Kawachi Wisteria Park) was opened in 1977 by Masao Higuchi. The late founder was worried that too many visitors would damage his fuji (wisteria), so the private park never advertised.

Located in the remote hills of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, the park is not easy to reach. It remained relatively unknown  until 2012, when photos of the wisteria tunnel went viral. I’m convinced that Pinterest played a major role.

I saw the images of the wisteria tunnel constantly – in my Pinterest feed, Instagram, travel magazines, United Airlines onboard video, and CNN’s list of Japan’s 34 Most Beautiful Places.

Unfortunately, the all the publicity has resulted in crowds that overwhelm the park and local infrastructure. The park is only open in the spring during wisteria season and the fall for Japanese maple season.

The peak of the wisteria bloom generally coincides with Golden Week, a series of Japanese holidays that take place between April 29 and May 5. This is generally the busiest time to visit any tourist attraction in Japan. Last year, I went to Kawachi Fujien on April 25 in an attempt to see the flowers before the holiday crowds. I could tell on arrival that the Wisteria hadn’t quite hit their peak.

There are two 100 meter wisteria tunnels, wisteria domes, and a beautiful trellis with trees that are at least one hundred years old.

The alternating shades of flowers are still beautiful before the peak, but it’s not quite as magical when the metal frame is in clear view.

From Yahata station, we decided to take a taxi to get to the park before the public buses started.  Unfortunately there were already plenty of tour buses there.

As expected, there were selfies (and selfie sticks) everywhere.

Still the flowers were beautiful and fragrant.

The Wisteria canopy was beautiful from above.

The large dome would be incredible at full peak.

The trellis with the old trees were my favorite section. This area was less crowded than the brightly colored tunnels, but the trees had real character.

I would love to see the park again in full bloom.

Unfortunately I think it will be increasingly impossible to avoid the crowds.

Of course you can always just look up.

Details:

Kawachi Fujien is open 8:00 – 18:00 from mid-April to mid-May for wisteria season, and mid-November to early December for Japanese maple.

Advance tickets are required from April 22 – May 7, and can be purchased at 7- Eleven or Family Mart.  Both are convenience store chains with many locations throughout Japan. The ticket machines are in Japanese, but offer a service that you can call to get English language assistance.

The base ticket is ¥500, and are issued for a specific day and 2 hour time slot.  There are no refunds if you miss your designated time.  Once you are in, you can stay as long as you want until closing time.  Children younger than “high school age” can enter for free.

When you arrive at the park, you will need to wait in line again to pay an additional supplemental (cash only).  The total cost to enter is adjusted based on the peak  Before peak and after peak, the total cost is ¥500.  At early peak, the cost is ¥1,000, and at full peak, the cost is ¥1,500.  Unlike most situations in life, you are lucky if you pay full price – it means the flowers are at their most beautiful.

Access:

The closest train station to Kawachi Fujien is Yahata Station.

Yahata Station is about 45 minutes by train from Hakata (Fukuoka), 2 hours by train from Okayama, or 1 hour 10 minutes from Hiroshima.  It should be covered by the Japan Rail Pass.  For the best connections for your departure time and station, check HyperDia.  If you are starting from further away, you may want to find a hotel in Fukuoka or Kitakyushu.

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The park is not easy to reach from Yahata Station, but there is a new shuttle this year that runs 2-4 times an hour between 9am-3pm from April 22 – May 7.  If you want to get to the park earlier or stay later, you can take a taxi for approximately ¥3,500.  The drive from Yahata to the park is about 20 minutes, but on peak days there are major traffic jams to get to the park in this normally quiet area.