Koga Sōgō Park, Urban park in Koga, Japan
Koga Sōgō Park is an urban recreation area featuring multiple zones across a spacious layout with about 1700 peach trees representing six different varieties, walking trails, picnic areas, and a visitors' center. The park's design creates separate spaces for different activities while keeping the peach orchards as the main visual element throughout.
The park was founded in 1975 and became the first Japanese park to receive UNESCO's International Melina Mercouri Award. This recognition highlighted the park's importance as a model for urban green spaces and cultural preservation in Japan.
The park holds deep meaning for the local community as a gathering place tied to peach cultivation, a practice that has shaped the area for generations. During blooming season, outdoor tea ceremonies and markets bring together people who celebrate this agricultural heritage openly.
The park is accessible on foot in about 35 minutes from JR Koga Station, with directional signs marking the path through the city. Following these signs makes it easy to find your way without needing detailed directions.
A botanist named Ichiro Oga discovered an ancient lotus seed on the park grounds that successfully germinated and continues to thrive. This unexpected finding reveals that the soil holds remnants of older ecosystems that still have the potential to come back to life.
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