Okayama City Handayama Botanical Gardens

Okayama, Japan

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Okayama City Handayama Botanical Garden is a large garden located on the hills of Mount Handa in Okayama, Japan.

Established in 1953 and reopened in 1964, it spans around 110,000 square meters and is home to approximately 3,200 plant species and 150,000 individual plants. The garden is famous for its cherry blossoms, with about 1,000 trees of 45 varieties creating stunning pink landscapes in spring. Visitors can enjoy various walking paths, some with stairs and slopes, offering scenic views of the blossoms and other seasonal flowers like camellias and maples.

Near the summit lies Ipponmatsu Kofun, an ancient burial mound. The garden hosts a Cherry Blossom Festival annually, attracting many visitors for hanami (flower viewing) in a peaceful, natural setting close to the city center.