Twelve beautiful gardens on a cliff, overlooking the Pacific Ocean
Akao Rose & Herb Garden is a large expanse of greenery situated on a cliff near the town of Atami on the Izu Peninsula. It boasts twelve gardens inside its premises, opening them up as the seasons allow. The facilities were well-maintained. They have a bus that runs up and down the hill, so it’s mostly accessible.
We stopped by during our road trip to Izu, and it was certainly worth the views and photos!
Photo ops in Akao Herb & Rose Garden
We went in the summer, which means it’s not necessarily the peak season for flowers. So with that in mind, probably the most popular place in the garden was this little couple’s photo spot. It’s a small house-shaped frame on a hill overlooking the sea. There’s a stand to put your phone, so you can get some great shots here.
Just up the hill is Coeda House, a woody building designed by the famous Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma. We got some rose drinks that came with our ticket. Very nice on a hot sunny day.
This is basically the top of the garden complex. Our route was coming here first by bus, then slowly making our way down through the many gardens.
Getting lost in the greenery
Wandering through Akao Herb & Rose Garden is quite a treat. You can pretend to be in Europe (sort of), as they have an English garden, a French garden, and a variety of rose gardens. I guess this is one of those “experience Western culture” spots for the locals, but plenty enjoyable as a traveler too.
Spend some time leisurely going through the gardens, and eventually, you’ll be back to the starting point. Before the exit, you’ll find a little souvenir shop with fragrant items. Perhaps grab yourself some floral perfume on the way out?
Getting to Akao Herb & Rose Garden
There’s a bus that runs from Atami station, about 280 yen one way. I’d suggest checking the official page (Japanese) about this if you’re unsure. Atami itself is a couple of hours away from Tokyo (JR Tokaido Line). If you’re in for a beachy day trip, it might be worth checking out.
I’d budget an hour for Akao Herb & Rose Garden, just because it’s so big. If you’re an avid Instagrammer, maybe tack on thirty more minutes.
