Oishi Park — The Kawaguchiko Flower Park with a Different Bloom Every Month

Kawaguchiko · Oishi Park

A free lakeside park on the northern shore of Lake Kawaguchiko, Oishi Park (大石公園) keeps a different flower blooming in front of Mt. Fuji almost every month of the year. Cherry and tulips give way to nemophila, then to lavender and rose begonia, then to a fire-red carpet of kochia in October — a view that quietly rotates through twelve months without ever losing its backdrop.

Part of the full Mt. Fuji travel guide.

What Blooms When — The Year at Oishi Park

The park is planted in rolling seasonal rotations rather than a single marquee flower. Here is the honest, walk-up-and-see-it version of the calendar — no brochure inflation.

What most guides call a “tulip park” or a “nemophila park” is really neither. Oishi Park is a layered park: the beds closest to the lake are pansies and nemophila in spring, lavender in summer, kochia in autumn. The terraces behind — each with their own small sign — rotate through narcissus, salvia, cosmos and begonia.

The result is that there is no single “bad month” to visit. Even late winter, when the beds look bare, the Fuji view from the lake promenade is at its sharpest of the entire year.

And when you want a bigger canvas than Ōishi’s lakeside beds, the 80,000-zinnia autumn festival at Fuji Motosuko Resort — the shibazakura grounds’ second act, late August to mid-October — pairs easily with the park on the same day.

Spring — The Signature Season

Between mid-April and mid-May, three flowers take turns along the lake edge: shibazakura (moss phlox), tulips, and nemophila. It is the only time of year all three can be seen in front of Fuji within a few weeks.

The weeping cherry on the park edge — not the main shibazakura festival grounds at Motosu — frames Fuji for perhaps ten days each year. It is the park’s quietest moment: too early for the nemophila crowds, too late for the Chureito Pagoda tours.

By the first week of May, the nemophila beds along the lakeside path deepen into a pale blue sea. The best angle is low — crouch so the flowers fill the foreground and the mountain sits clean above them.

Nemophila — the bloom Oishi Park is known for

Summer — Lavender

From late June into mid-July, the lavender beds along the lakefront turn violet and the park was long the venue for the Kawaguchiko Herb Festival (河口湖ハーブフェスティバル), a joint event with Yagisaki Park across the lake. From 2026 the festival event is no longer staged at Oishi Park, but the lavender itself still blooms and is free to see — early summer remains the busiest, most photogenic stretch, so arrive before 9am if you want a clean shot.

Behind the main beds, the Begonia “Flower Niagara” — a 130-meter-long, three-meter-high flower wall — opens in June and stays colorful all the way through mid-October. It is the longest-blooming installation in the park and the only one that photographs well in overcast weather, when Fuji is hidden.

Autumn — Kochia in the Red Wave

The park planted around 2,200 kochia in 2025 — round green summer shrubs that turn crimson together in autumn. Published timing guides differ: Yamanashi’s official tourism site lists peak red in mid-to-late October, while the park’s own Natural Living Center lists red kochia from late October to mid-November; in 2025 the field was still fully red on 23 October. The main kochia field is the lakeside terrace closest to the Natural Living Center.

Go at golden hour. The low autumn light bounces off the red spheres and the snow line on Fuji is usually back by then.

Oishi Park in September

The kochia are still mostly green in September. Yamanashi’s official tourism site expects the first red tinge from late September to early October and peak red in mid-to-late October; the Natural Living Center lists red kochia into mid-November. What the Center’s 25 September 2026 update showed instead: green kochia, pampas grass, muhly grass, rudbeckia, yellow cosmos and late hydrangeas. Fuji visibility varies day to day, so check the forecast first. As of 27 September 2026 the Oishi Park Line boat is suspended (see By Boat below), so come by Red Line bus or car.

Two autumn visits: 23 October and 4 November 2025

I photographed Oishi Park twice in autumn 2025; the two dates show exactly what was in colour when. On 23 October, late afternoon, the kochia were fully red, pampas grass caught the low light behind them, cosmos were still flowering, and panicle hydrangea heads added pink along the terraces. Autumn at Oishi is several colours stacked, not one.

The mountain co-operated, too: that same day, the Kofu Local Meteorological Office recorded Fuji’s first snowcap of the season — so these frames hold red kochia and the year’s first official snow at once.

On my second visit, 4 November, I photographed the lakeshore maples in full autumn colour, framing Fuji over the water — whatever stage the kochia are at by then, early November brings its own show.

Winter — The Overlooked Season

From late November through March, the flower beds are quiet. But Fuji is at its clearest — the Pacific high-pressure system gives day after day of sharp blue skies — and the park is empty. For Mt. Fuji photography without crowds, winter mornings from the Oishi Park lake promenade are unbeatable. The Natural Living Center remains open and serves hot blueberry drinks.

Oishi Park in December

The flower beds are largely bare in December, but the park is open at all hours, parking is free, and clear winter mornings give some of the sharpest Fuji views of the year. The Natural Living Center stays open daily, with its cafés closing at 16:30. The 2026 Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival ends on 29 November, so early-December visitors will miss it. Dress for sub-zero mornings.

Where to Stand for the Best Photo

The Natural Living Center

On the upper plateau, the Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center (河口湖自然生活館) sits like a small chalet with a tall navy-blue clock tower. It is the park’s one indoor building — a free-entry shop and café — and most visitors miss what it actually is: the center of Japan’s domestic blueberry movement. The greater Kawaguchiko region grows more blueberries than anywhere else in the country, and the second-floor café serves them in a dozen forms, from soft-serve to jam-on-toast.

Open daily, all year. The shop runs 9:00–17:45 in the main season and closes earlier in winter (the town tourism site lists 9:00–17:15 for October–March); the cafés close at 16:30 from November to February. Check fkchannel.jp for the current month. Inside you will find the expected omiyage wall of blueberry pastries and jams, but also seasonal hand-made crafts and local produce. Public restrooms are here — the cleanest in the park.

Pick-your-own blueberries is offered at affiliated farms nearby in July–August. Information and booking is handled at the Center desk.

How Oishi Park Compares

If you have only one day for flowers with Mt. Fuji, it helps to know how Oishi stacks up against its better-known neighbors.

The practical summary: Oishi Park is free to enter and free to park at; Hana no Miyako’s main flower fields are also free to walk (parking ¥300), while the Shibazakura Festival and Iyashi no Sato charge admission. If you want a single spectacle, Shibazakura Festival or Hana no Miyako in high season will beat Oishi on volume. If you want a lakeside park that rewards repeat visits, this is the one.

Getting There — Parking, Bus, and What to Expect

By Car

Free parking lot

15 minutes from Kawaguchiko IC on the Chuo Expressway. The lot fills quickly in the spring flower season and when the kochia turn red (mid-October to mid-November). Arriving before 9am is strongly recommended in those windows.

By Bus

“河口湖自然生活館” stop · Red Line

From Kawaguchiko Station, take the Kawaguchiko Sightseeing Bus “Red Line” — about 27 minutes, ¥570 one-way for adults (2026 fare table). Buses leave the station every 15 minutes from 9:00 to 17:45. The stop is a two-minute walk from the park entrance, next to a small rest area.

By Boat

Oishi Park Line (suspended as of 27 Sep 2026)

Launched on 17 July 2026, the boat takes about 15 minutes between Funatsu pier and Oishi Park (adults ¥1,000 one-way). It has been suspended since the 9:20 sailing on 23 September 2026 while the Oishi pier is removed because of high lake levels; the operator will announce a restart, and its news page showed no restart notice as of 27 September 2026. Check it before planning on the boat — see our Oishi Park ferry guide.

Address & Essentials

〒401-0305 山梨県南都留郡富士河口湖町大石2525-11
TEL: 0555-72-1976 (park) / 0555-76-8230 (Natural Living Center)
35.5264° N, 138.7469° E · Google Maps: “Oishi Park”

Where to Stay Near Oishi Park

Oishi Park sits on the quieter northern shore, opposite the busier Kawaguchiko town side. For the best lake-facing rooms and the shortest walk to the park, stay on the north shore itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

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