Ever stood beside a sunflower that was taller than you? You can this summer at Tsunan Sunflower Field (Tsunan Himawari Hiroba), located in Niigata prefecture's Nakauonuma district.
The field has close to 500,000 sunflowers spread across four hectares! That’s like an endless sea of yellow. Oh, and did I mention – the beautiful sunflowers average a height of two metres!
For the adventurous, try the Sunflower Maze. Be warned though: It takes about 20 minutes to complete, so avoid it if you’re in a rush or feeling unwell.
It was super hot when I attempted the maze that day, so remember to bring some water with you. In total, it did take me about 20 minutes to find the exit. Of course, this included stopping for photos along the way.
After all that hard work, you can reward yourself with some refreshing kakigori, or shaved ice, at the nearby food stalls.
Here's how you can get the field. For those without a car, you can take a 15-minute taxi ride (about 2,000 yen) from the closest station to the field, JR Tsunan station.If you’re coming from Tokyo, you’ll need to board the shinkansen (bullet train), transfer to a bus, then take a taxi.
There’s a fee for parking (300 yen for cars), but admission to Tsunan Sunflower Field is free. Trust me, the time you take to get to the field is totally worth it; so do add this attraction to your wanderlist!
Oh, and don't forget to bring your hat and sunglasses!
