Wakasato Park, Urban park in Wakasato, Nagano, Japan.
Wakasato Park covers 5.8 hectares south of Nagano Station, about ten minutes on foot from the east exit. Its grounds hold a central plaza, a large lawn, a playground and a sunken plaza, with the Nagano Prefectural Library standing inside the park and the Hokuto Culture Hall next door. In May 2025 the Inspark Wakasato rental space opened on the site.
The site was the Nagano Prefectural Agricultural Experiment Station until it moved in 1972, and the park and neighbouring Hokuto Culture Hall were built on its former grounds. The prefectural library opened here in August 1979, and the park itself opened on 1 April 1983, the same day as the culture hall. Since 1 April 2005 the Nagano Silver Human Resources Centre has managed it as designated administrator.
The park's name comes from the Wakasato district, and its grounds are used each year as the venue for Nippon TV's 24-hour charity telethon, broadcast by the neighbouring TV Shinshu headquarters. In mid-May, two Hitotsubatago trees in the southwest corner, known as "Nanjamonja", bloom with slender white flowers that look like settled snow.
You can reach the park by bus from Nagano Station or drive there with parking available on site. The park is easy to access and accessible for different types of visitors and mobility needs.
Two Chinese fringe trees, known locally as nanjamonja, stand in the southwest corner and flower around mid-May; their long white blossoms make the trees look as if snow has settled on them. The park also hosts the annual 24-hour television charity broadcast of TV Shinshu, whose headquarters adjoin the grounds.
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