[Sanuki Manno Park Visitor Guide] Fill Your Sense of Fun with Shikoku’s Nature and Culture

Spring at Sanuki Manno Park is especially recommended for flower lovers.
The season begins with cherry blossoms (11 varieties, 400 trees) and daffodils (70 varieties, 200,000 flowers) reaching their best viewing time in mid-March, followed one after another by tulips (32 varieties, 40,000 flowers).
Like a flower relay, you can enjoy Approx. eight kinds of flowers and the differences in shape and color among each variety.
The beautifully designed tulip flower beds are so stunning they recall the flower fields of the Netherlands.
You should also enjoy the scenery of 550,000 nemophila, which can be seen from early to late April.
The sight of a blue carpet stretching as far as the eye can see is exceptionally beautiful.
It is the perfect setting for a stroll along the paths while enjoying the pleasant warmth of spring.

The highlights of summer at Sanuki Manno Park can be divided into two main attractions.
First are the hydrangeas, which reach their best viewing time from early to late June.
At the Hydrangea Garden, Approx. 20,000 colorful hydrangeas of 40 varieties bloom in full glory, and the rain of the rainy season adds the perfect touch.
It is recommended to walk around the area carrying a traditional Japanese umbrella, available to rent for free.
Then, from late July to early August, Approx. 8,000 sunflowers put on a powerful display that seems unfazed by the summer heat and will leave you feeling energized.
Be sure to also notice the scenery of round, charming kochia coloring the park in green.
Approx. 6,000 kochia plants, grown to around 90 cm, are lined up at even intervals, and when they sway in the wind, they look like living animals and create a soothing scene.
The light-up, held at night in mid-August, is also a must-see, creating a dreamlike space softly illuminated by light.

When it comes to symbols of autumn, cosmos flowers come to mind.
At Sanuki Manno Park, there are Approx. 280,000 cosmos flowers of six varieties, including chocolate cosmos and yellow cosmos, where you can enjoy differences in color, white, red, and yellow, as well as their fragrance.
Because each variety blooms at a different time, the flowers and trees gradually begin to color the park in autumn shades.
Being able to witness the changing of the seasons firsthand is one of the park’s highlights as well.
The kochia mentioned above also change during this season, shifting from green to red with gradations in between, and finally turning a wheat-like color.
In addition, from mid-September to late October, the Autumn! Colorful Festa is held, bringing the park to life with a wide variety of events, including gourmet food, music, and sports. It is also nice that the contents are planned differently each year.

Sanuki Manno Park is also famous as an illumination spot, and during the season when the large-scale Winter Fantasy event is held, visitors gather from all over Japan.
From late November, when park hours are extended, through the New Year holiday event period, the grounds are filled with a variety of displays, and the nighttime scenery, so different from the daytime, is sure to surprise you.
At the entrance, a 10-meter-tall symbolic tree appears, and the lawn area is wrapped in an elegant world of light created by Approx. 650,000 LED bulbs.
The Tunnel of Light and the illumination reflected on the surface of the decorated Shoryu Waterfall are also deeply atmospheric.
Because the concept changes every time, one of the event’s features is being able to enjoy the differences from year to year.
After the illumination ends and late January arrives, winter flowers such as Christmas roses and plum blossoms once again brighten the park as it waits for spring.

One reason for Sanuki Manno Park’s popularity is that, despite its vast grounds, it is thoroughly maintained and lets visitors enjoy a wide variety of beautiful scenery in comfort.
The balance between nature and man-made design is exquisite, so simply strolling through the park can be enjoyable enough on its own.
At the entrance, Dora-mu, a flower-shaped object that is both the symbol of Manno Town and the park’s mascot character, welcomes visitors.
Pass through Vista of Green and Stone, lined with stone walls on both sides, and when you move from the entrance toward the plaza, it feels like the beginning of a world where nature spreads out before you.
By the way, don’t miss the clever design of Vista of Green and Stone: the farther you go, the narrower the path becomes, creating a fascinating sense of depth.
As you continue, you will likely be overwhelmed by the power of the artificial Shoryu Waterfall, with a drop of Approx. 9 meters and dramatic splashes of water.
These are only a small glimpse of what the park offers, and there are many more scenic spots besides.
Please come and experience this wonderful space for yourself, as photos alone cannot fully capture it.

Sanuki Manno Park is characterized not only by its seasonal flowers and trees, but also by its rich natural scenery.
Hiryu Pond, where you can view Shoryu Waterfall across the water, creates an outstanding atmosphere with fresh greenery reflected on the pond and a sense of quiet all around.
Take your time and enjoy it from the wooden deck at the viewpoint, which seems to invite you to fully immerse yourself in nature.
It is especially recommended around May, when carp streamers swim above the pond and the red Rhododendron simsii add vibrant color.
Also not to be missed is Sanuki Forest, where learning and play coexist.
From the Miharashi no Yama Observatory, located at an elevation of 277 meters, you can enjoy wonderful views of Manno Pond and the Seto Inland Sea.
At Hagakure Pass, where trees spread all around, you can breathe in the fresh, pleasant air and relax.

Sanuki Manno Park has many large-scale playground structures that offer experiences you would not usually find in everyday life, and they quickly capture children’s hearts.
Among them, the Fuwafuwa Dome, for elementary school age and younger only, is especially popular, letting children bounce like on a trampoline and enjoy the mysterious feeling of walking on clouds.
Also recommended is the large dragon-shaped net jungle, where children can climb toward the top, run through tunnels, and develop their free imagination.
Also, don’t forget about the X Slider located in another area.
It is a slide where 65-meter and 50-meter rollers cross in the shape of an X, and the exhilarating thrill of descending an Approx. 14-meter drop will likely make you want to ride it again and again.
Only three attractions are introduced here, but the park is packed with many other appealing attractions as well, and it is known as a place families can enjoy together.

At Sanuki Manno Park, different hands-on events that make use of its rich natural setting are held every month.
Examples include a herb workshop where you make flower baskets and wreaths using plants harvested in the park, and a charcoal-making experience where you place thinned wood, timber cut during the forest growth process, into and out of the kiln.
There are also exchange events where local experts teach traditional games and bamboo crafts, and the udon-making workshop, where you knead dough from flour to make Kagawa’s local dish, udon, allows you to experience the region’s history and culture as well.
The wide variety of programs is another nice point, letting visitors enjoy the park in many different ways.
If you plan to join a hands-on event, be sure to check the official website in advance for what will be held on the day of your visit and whether an application is required.

The park also includes the auto camping ground Hot! Stay Manno.
This camping ground has received the highest five-star rating from the Japan Auto Camping Federation and is highly regarded for its excellent services.
There are only 10 five-star facilities in all of Japan, and once you hear that it was the first in the Shikoku region to receive this certification, its impressive quality becomes clear.
With a variety of site types including car sites, free sites, and cabins, it can be enjoyed not only by experienced campers but also by beginners.
The facilities are also excellent, with hot-water sinks, washing areas, and toilets, as well as coin showers and even power outlets, so you should be able to fully enjoy camping without inconvenience.
At the nearby management center, you can rent camping essentials such as tents, sleeping bags, and lanterns, and also purchase firewood and seasonings, so even arriving empty-handed is no problem.

Ritsurin Garden was completed nearly 300 years ago after successive lords of the Takamatsu Domain expanded and refined it as a villa for the Matsudaira family, the domain’s ruling clan.
The flat garden area alone is a very large 16 hectares, but including Mt. Shiun, which forms the backdrop, the total area reaches Approx. 75 hectares. Among cultural gardens designated as Special Places of Scenic Beauty by the nation, it is the largest in Japan.
It is a strolling garden made up of six ponds and 13 artificial hills, and as the phrase “one step, one view” suggests, you can enjoy different beautiful scenery with every step.

Built on Mt. Zozu, this is the head shrine of all Kotohira shrines and receives Approx. 4 million worshippers each year.
From the temple town to the main shrine, a long flight of stone steps continues, numbering 785 in total.
Climb them slowly, putting your thoughts and wishes into each step.
Along the way, it is also recommended to take a break at an art spot where you can view cultural properties and artworks owned by Kotohiragu Shrine, or at Cafe & Restaurant Kamitsubaki.

A symbolic presence in Marugame with a history of 400 years.
It is a hirayama-style castle built over five years by the warlord Ikoma Chikamasa together with his son Kazumasa.
The stone walls stacked from the inner moat to the castle keep boast Japan’s greatest height at Approx. 60 meters, and their distinctive curves have earned them the name “fan-shaped slope.”