東沢バラ公園, Rose garden in Murayama, Japan
Higashizawa Rose Park is a large botanical garden filled with thousands of rose plants from many different countries. The grounds are laid out so visitors can walk along paths and see numerous varieties throughout the space.
The park opened in 1956 on 1,650 square metres of levelled hillside east of the site, with 70 varieties and 700 plants, designed by Suzuki Shōzō, first director of the Keisei Rose Garden in Chiba. It was certified in October 2001 among the Ministry of the Environment's 100 Fragrant Landscapes, the only rose garden so listed, and had its grand opening in 2002. In 2015 an NPO designated it a Lovers' Sanctuary.
The park displays the Murayama Rose, a locally developed variety that shows the horticultural skill of the region's growers. This rose reflects the passion of local breeders to create varieties suited to this climate.
The park is open daily from 8:30 to 18:30 but closes for the winter from November through March. Entry is free outside the rose festival and ticketed during it. The roses are at their best from early June to late September.
In October 2001 the park was named one of Japan's 100 Fragrant Landscapes by the Ministry of the Environment, the only rose garden on that list. It was also certified in 2015 as a Lovers' Sanctuary by the NPO Regional Revitalization Support Center.
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