Forest Park Yuragi no Mori A facility for learning about the importance of protecting the natural environment.

Forest Park Yuragi no Mori is located at an altitude of 700 to 900 m in the mountains above Niihama city. It opened in 2000 as a facility for learning about the importance of protecting the natural environment.

At the centre of the park is Auberge Yuragi, an attractive hotel and restaurant. The restaurant at Auberge Yuragi serves a wide menu of French cuisine. From the rooms on the north side, you can see the Akaishi Mountain range. On the south side, there’s a huge dome-shaped pergola growing with wisteria which flower in spring. The pergola has a diameter of 45 m and is one of the largest in Japan. A Pergola Wisteria Festival is held in early May when the wisteria flowers are in full bloom.

Next to the Auberge is Sakura Kōbō, a workshop where you can make bookmarks and cards using pretty wildflowers and try your hand at woodworking using simple kits that can be assembled easily. Behind the workshop is a covered area with firepits that can be used for BBQs and cooking with the Dutch ovens that can be borrowed from the facility.

There’s a promenade in the park where you can enjoy various flowers in each season and impressive views of the mountain peaks. The Auberge makes a good base for exploring the mountains of this area.