A Garden Filled with Famous Roses from Around the World
The garden features a wide variety of roses, including large-flowered and richly colored modern roses, historic old roses, and fragrant English roses.
Many varieties recognized by the World Federation of Rose Societies as outstanding roses are also grown here. Famous examples include Queen Elizabeth, Graham Thomas, Iceberg, and Pierre de Ronsard.
Visitors can compare roses from countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, New Zealand, and Japan. Walking through the garden, you can appreciate differences in color, shape, size, and fragrance while discovering the remarkable diversity of roses.
Akagi no Kagayaki: Maebashi’s Original Rose
Maebashi is known as a “city of roses” and has a strong connection with rose cultivation, including the production of cut roses. The city also designates the rose as its official flower.
In 2008, an original rose variety called Akagi no Kagayaki was created to commemorate the National Urban Greenery Gunma Fair held that year.
One of its most remarkable characteristics is its changing color. From the bud stage through full bloom, the flowers gradually change from yellow to orange and finally red.
The vivid transformation is reminiscent of the powerful colors of Mount Akagi, one of the three famous mountains known as the Jomo Sanzan. The distinctive rose has become a favorite among visitors to the garden.
Best Seasons and Rose Garden Events
The main flowering seasons are generally mid-May to early June and mid-October to early November.
During the spring flowering season, the Rose Garden Festival is held, while the autumn season features a Rose Festa. These events may include local fresh-produce markets, regional product exhibitions, and other activities.
At selected times, the garden is also illuminated at night, creating a magical atmosphere that is very different from the daytime scenery.
Approximately 600 standard-form rose plants are arranged throughout the garden, creating an orderly and elegant landscape. A greenhouse is also provided, allowing visitors to enjoy roses even when weather conditions are less favorable.
A Rose Garden with a Long History
The rose garden originally opened in 1971 with approximately 200 varieties and 2,000 rose plants. A major renovation was carried out in connection with the National Urban Greenery Gunma Fair in 2008, significantly expanding the garden to its present collection of approximately 600 varieties and 7,000 plants.
Before the renovation, the area also featured seasonal plants such as cherry blossoms, Japanese irises, peonies, and azaleas. Today, it has been developed as a specialized rose garden, becoming one of Maebashi’s best-known attractions for flower enthusiasts.
Culture and History within the Park
Shikishima Park is also home to the Maebashi Silk Industry Memorial Museum, which introduces the city’s history as an important center of Japan’s silk industry.
The museum occupies a former office building of a silk research facility constructed in 1912. The historic wooden one-story building was relocated to the park and is designated as a Gunma Prefecture Important Cultural Property.
The building provides a glimpse into Maebashi’s development as a city closely connected with silk production and preserves an important part of the region’s industrial heritage.
A former memorial museum dedicated to poet Sakutaro Hagiwara was also once located in Shikishima Park. Although it has since been relocated, the park continues to provide a setting where visitors can experience the connection between nature, culture, and local history.
Shikishima Park: A Vast Green Space for Recreation
Shikishima Park is a large urban park covering approximately 37.6 hectares, incorporating areas managed by Gunma Prefecture for sports facilities and areas managed by Maebashi City for recreation.
In 1989, the park was selected as one of the 100 Best Urban Parks in Japan.
Sports and Family Activities
The park contains a wide range of sports facilities, including the athletics stadium Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma, a baseball stadium, soccer and rugby fields, a swimming facility, and tennis courts.
At the same time, the park offers plenty of recreational attractions for families, including a boating pond, field athletics course, and spacious lawn areas.
Situated between the Tone River and Hirose River, the park is surrounded by natural scenery and pine groves. Visitors can enjoy leisurely walks while appreciating flowers, trees, and other seasonal landscapes.
Access
By Public Transportation
From JR Maebashi Station, take a Kan-Etsu Kotsu bus on the Midorigaoka Line bound for the General Sports Center. Get off at either Rojin Center Iriguchi or Shikishima Park Bus Terminal.
By Car
The park is approximately 15 minutes from Maebashi Interchange on the Kan-Etsu Expressway. It is also approximately 2 kilometers from Komayose Parking Area Smart Interchange.
A Maebashi Landmark of Flowers, Nature, and Culture
Shikishima Park Rose Garden combines an impressive collection of approximately 600 rose varieties and 7,000 plants with historic buildings, cultural attractions, and the natural beauty of Shikishima Park.
The spring and autumn flowering seasons attract many visitors, while nighttime illumination can transform the rose garden into an enchanting landscape.
For travelers exploring Maebashi, a visit to the rose garden offers an opportunity to enjoy beautiful flowers, fragrant gardens, local history, and peaceful natural surroundings in one destination.