Daisetsu Mori Garden

Daisetsu Mori Garden sits at the foot of the Daisetsuzan mountain range in central Hokkaido, open daily from late April through mid-October. The hillside garden is organized into themed sections including a Play Forest for children and large open lawns. Because the growing season here lasts only seven months, spring, summer, and fall overlap in unusual ways, with summer flowers still blooming as fall colors begin. The garden's Italian restaurant, run by chef Kiyomi Mikuni, uses Hokkaido ingredients and requires advance reservations. Picnic tables, wooden decks, and a Forest Living area with an outdoor kitchen are available throughout the grounds.