Kagawa Prefecture’s Sanuki Manno Park is the largest national park in Shikoku, Japan, and also the biggest flower viewing spot, covering an area of 350 hectares. In spring, summer, and autumn, flowers bloom abundantly, creating a colorful spectacle. In winter, the park is illuminated by 500,000 LED lights, creating a brilliant and dazzling night scene. The park features cycling routes where visitors can enjoy flowers, observe ponds, hike to see waterfalls, and there is also a children’s play area, making it the perfect all-round leisure destination in the area.
Entering through the west gate, the first scenic art visitors will see is the Green Stone Wall. Lined with flowers, and green trees on both sides, resembling a fortress-like sturdy stone wall, creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors along the grand avenue.
One of the most eye-catching features here is the “Soaring Dragon Waterfall”. At the top of each hour, there is a spectacular display of cascading water rushing down, creating a majestic sight. The waterfall drops over 9 meters, with a maximum flow rate of 65 tons per minute, showcasing its grandeur. Interestingly, the water from the waterfall is not wasted; it passes through filtration and sterilization before being pumped back into the reservoir to recirculate, ensuring sustainable use.
Adjacent to the waterfall is a vast 4-hectare lawn square, where one can freely play with big balls, run around, or simply lay down on the lush green grass, gaze up at the wide sky, contemplate quietly, and feel relaxed and at ease in the peaceful surroundings.
Both the “Forest of Dragon Heads” and the “Dragon’s Nest” are planted with numerous flowers, with over 20,000 daffodils blooming in the park during spring, in shades of yellow, orange, and white, creating a picturesque scene. The “Dragon Flower Path” boasts a variety of colorful flowers, resembling a beautiful floral carpet, bringing joy and tranquility to visitors.
The Dragon Pond covers an area of 2.3 hectares, surrounded by shaded trees, providing a tranquil setting with the Dragon Steps and wooden deck pathways for leisurely strolls amidst a serene ambiance. From the elevated wooden pathways, visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view of the majestic Soaring Dragon Waterfall.
The Children’s Play Area located near the Dragon Pond features two popular recreational facilities, the giant slide and the bouncy trampoline. The Aix big slide consists of two large slides with a drop of about 14 meters, complemented by rope climbing, allowing children to have endless fun.
The bouncy trampoline in white lets children jump and play joyfully, enjoying the thrill of walking on fluffy clouds. Many kids will happily spend hours on the trampoline without getting bored.
Sanuki Manno Park derives its name from the Manno Pond. Legend has it that Manno was associated with a dragon story long ago, hence the park adopts the dragon figure as its mascot, symbolizing good fortune.
Due to the dry climate in the Seto Inland Sea region with low rainfall but long hours of sunshine, farmers have long suffered from drought and water scarcity. In the 8th century, the lord of Sanuki built the Manno Pond to alleviate the water scarcity issue. After the embankment collapsed in 818 AD, Kobo Daishi rebuilt it three years later and transformed it into Japan’s first reservoir, becoming the largest water reservoir in Japan. Over 1,200 years of maintenance, the reservoir can hold up to 15.4 million tons of water, irrigating 3,100 hectares of rice fields, earning its title of the “Sanuki Water Tank”.
The Manno Pond is surrounded by red pine forests, oak trees, and home to various wildlife such as the Japanese squirrel, eagles, and hawks. As a result, the 32-hectare area around the Manno Pond has been designated as a wildlife protection zone by the Kagawa Prefectural Government, recognized as one of the “Top 100 Reservoirs” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2010.
The Dragon Hill and Lakeside Forest offer a forest bathing experience, allowing visitors to immerse in the forest’s natural aromas. In the Forest of Dragon Heads and Dragon’s Nest, visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms, daffodils, and cosmos flowers in spring, hydrangeas and sunflowers in summer; and in autumn, it transforms into a stage for ornamental grasses and chrysanthemums, where one can indulge in the fragrant floral scents. The park offers light snacks for purchase and bicycle rentals to explore the 5.88-kilometer cycling path across the entire park.
The park features recreational facilities, with nature education classes and experiential activities held irregularly in the natural eco-park. The exhibition hall showcases the local biodiversity. In this comprehensive park, everyone can have a leisurely and relaxing day immersed in the natural ambiance.
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