The flora of the four seasons in great profusion over a wide site
Niji-no-Sato is a park overflowing with nature on a mountain ridge up to 1.5km away from the center of Shuzen-ji Onsen. Occupying an area of 500,000㎡, it is practically as large as Tokyo Disneyland. Beginning with the Fairy Garden inside the facility where you can enjoy traditional flowers of Japanese and traditional Western gardens, Niji-no-Sato consists of 5 villages which include the British Village that has a recreation of Middle Ages England and the Canadian Village which resembles Izu’s sister city of Nelson in British Columbia, Canada. The Romney Railroad operates between the two villages. It is a short trip at about 10 minutes, but from the train windows, kids and adults alike can savor the scenery of the four seasons.
Enjoy a Japanese atmosphere at Izu Village and Takumi Village
At the highlight-filled Shuzen-ji Niji-no-Sato, Izu Village is the place to enjoy local culture. The stone-paved slope takes advantage of the natural topography where a street that seems to have emerged from a samurai drama stretches out. You can also encounter a wealth of specialty products from Izu such as the fruits of the mountains and the sea along with other Japanese sundries and handicrafts. Also, if you are into taking a look at the homes from old-time Japan, you must head over to Takumi Village. 9 traditional thatched-roof farm houses have been moved to the park from Tokuyama Village in Gifu Prefecture due to the construction of Chisui Dam in the area. The homes have been revived as workshops for traditional craftsmen and artists. Here, you can try your hand at the traditional arts and crafts of Japan including Japanese papermaking and pottery.
With 2000 maple trees taking on color, a pre-eminent spot for the autumn leaves even in Shuzen-ji
Niji-no-Sato, where you can enjoy the flora of the four seasons, is famous for having the largest forest for the fall colors in Izu. Starting with the maple forest of about 1000 trees which continue on toward Takumi Village, you can also savor 2000 colorful trees including cypress and American sweetgum all arranged for a Japanesque atmosphere. There is illumination in the British Village, Izu Village, the area around the Japanese garden and Shobu-ga-Ike Pond, Takumi Village and a part of the Maple Forest. At night, the illumination provides a fantastic view which differs from the autumn colors seen during the day. The trees first take on color around the middle of November in an average year and the colors can be enjoyed up to the middle of December.