Pre Tour 2
Information on the 20th World Rose Convention in Fukuyama 2025 Pre-tour:
Tour to the Kyushu region, including the area along the Kumagawa River where a colony of Rosa multiflora var. adenochaeta thrives

Departure Location: Fukuoka City
Nearest airport:Fukuoka Airport
Nearest bullet train station:JR Hakata Station

Please check into Hotel Nikko Fukuoka by dinner time, as we will have dinner prepared for you.[Map]

Reiwa Open Garden（Yoshida Residence）

An open garden event in Fukuoka, Chikugo, and Saga regions showcasing private residence gardens. One such residence is the Yoshida Residence, located in the mountainside with a large garden full of blooming flowers. The Open Garden initiative started in 2008. From 2009 to 2018, rose courses were held at home. Since 2021, rose courses have been conducted at the Fukuoka City Botanical Garden. The Yoshida Residence has been working on promoting flowers, particularly the Kanoko Lily (Lilium speciosum) in Munakata City since 2010. The residence won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award in 2016 for creating Japan's flower city and the Cabinet Office Greening Promotion Activity Award in 2018. The garden features approximately 200 varieties of roses, as well as trees, perennial flowers, and other plants.

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Uminonakamichi Seaside Park

Situated on a sandbar-like terrain between Hakata Bay and the Genkai Sea, this national park spans approximately 6 kilometers east-west with an area of about 350 hectares. It offers seasonal flower views and an opportunity to interact with animals like squirrel monkeys, capybaras, and kangaroos in the Animal Forest. The park includes a rose garden in its flower area and museum, showcasing 1,200 roses of about 220 varieties. The park features a Modern Color Rose Area and a Fragrant Rose Area.

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Kikuchi Gorge

Kikuchi Valley (Kikuchi Keikoku) is a naturally rich valley located in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, known for its beautiful landscapes and clear streams. Spanning approximately 4 kilometers, visitors can enjoy various seasonal sceneries, especially the fresh green of spring and the autumn leaves in fall.

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Kuma River Basin Tsukushi Ibara (Rosa multiflora var. adenochaeta) Colony

A natural habitat of wild roses native to Japan, the Tsukushibara grows along the Kuma River riverside near Kinoshita Station in the eastern and western regions of the Hitoyoshi Basin in Kumamoto Prefecture. The Tsukushibara blooms around mid-May, coloring the riverbank pink at its peak. Botanically treated as a variety of Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora var. adenochaeta), it was on the brink of extinction due to river management and overharvesting as a rose rootstock. However, thanks to conservation efforts by local people, its natural habitat has been restored.

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ECO PARK MINAMATA(Rose Garden)

Ecopark Minamata is a vast natural park located in Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, where visitors can see a variety of plants and wild birds in a rich natural environment throughout the seasons. The park is equipped with walking paths, observation decks, and facilities for nature observation, making it popular among families and nature enthusiasts.

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Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle (Kumamoto-jo) is one of Japan's representative famous castles located in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Within its vast castle grounds, there are unique curved stone walls, multiple turrets, and a spacious main tower, containing many historically valuable structures.

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Miyama-Kirishima (Rhododendron kiusianum) Colonies on Unzen Nita Pass

When the trees change into their yellow-green attire, the mountains of Unzen are beautifully dyed in pink by the Miyama-Kirishima, marking the colorful seasons of Unzen. Miyama-Kirishima, also known as "Unzen Tsutsuji," is a slender-petaled rhododendron known for its variations in leaf size, gloss, and color. It begins blooming around late April in the Unzen Jigoku area, with colonies at Ikenohara and Hobaru parks blooming from early to mid-May, followed by the Nita Pass area from mid to late May.

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Unzen ropeway

Unzen Ropeway is a highly popular spot among tourists for enjoying beautiful nature and magnificent views. During the ride, visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of each season, and upon arriving at the mountaintop station, they can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view. On clear days, you can see as far as the Ariake Sea, Mt. Aso, and even the Goto Islands. There are well-maintained hiking trails and opportunities for nature observation around the area.

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Glover Garden

Glover Garden features scattered Western-style buildings, with the Glover Residence notably known as Japan's oldest surviving wooden Western-style house. From its gardens, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Nagasaki Harbor. The harmonious scenery of beautiful landscapes and historic buildings attracts many tourists. The park also preserves and relocates other buildings that remind visitors of the lifestyles of foreign residents of that era, creating an atmosphere full of exotic charm.

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Oura Church

Oura Cathedral is Japan's oldest surviving Christian church located in Nagasaki City. It showcases a beautiful design influenced by Gothic architecture, with stained glass and a wooden altar inside, enchanting visitors with its solemn atmosphere. In 2018, the church was registered as part of UNESCO's World Heritage Site "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region," allowing visitors to experience a quiet and sacred space while sensing the depth of history and faith.

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The Siebold Memorial Museum, dedicated to the introduction of Western medicine to Japan

The Siebold Memorial Museum is dedicated to Philipp Franz von Siebold, a German-born physician who played a significant role in Japan during the early 19th century. Siebold arrived in Japan in 1823 as a physician at the Dutch trading post and made significant contributions to the development of Japanese medicine and natural sciences. This museum, established to preserve his achievements and the history of exchange with Japan for future generations, introduces his remarkable accomplishments to numerous visitors.

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Dejima

Dejima is an artificial island in Nagasaki City, known as the only place where Japan allowed trade with foreign countries during its isolation policy in the Edo period. Today, Dejima is open to tourists as a historical area, restored to its original buildings and streets from that era. It features reconstructions of the Dutch trading post, warehouses, residences, and more, allowing visitors to experience the trade and cultural exchange history of the Edo period.

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Huis Ten Bosch

Huis Ten Bosch is a theme park in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, replicating a Dutch cityscape facing Omura Bay, covering a total area of 152 hectares, making it the largest standalone theme park in Japan. Within the park, there are four locations: the Grand Rose Garden, the Flower Plaza, the Rose Canal, and the Palace Rose Garden, where roses are planted. There are approximately 2,000 varieties and 10,000 bushes covering about 1 hectare. The Rose Festival held in May impresses visitors with its overwhelming scale. Along the Rose Canal, climbing roses are trained on both banks, creating a spectacular view. In the Palace Front Garden at the deepest part of the park, varieties named after royal families from Japan and overseas are planted. The "White Rose Garden" enveloped in pure white roses is also spectacular.

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After breakfast, we will travel to Fukuyama City, arriving around noon.