Rose & Berry Tawada
We’d all love to be Mary Lennox, the girl who discovered the Secret Garden. But alas, we are not. This Secret Garden-inspired park, however, brings us closer to this long-forgotten dream of ours.
A real-life Secret Garden in Japan
Image credit: Rose & Berry Tawada
Located in the Shiga Prefecture, Rose & Berry Tawada park features all sorts of flora and fauna, including perennial flowers, roses, and cherry trees.
Image adapted from: @rosa_berry_tawada via Instagram
These gorgeous flowers are meticulously cultivated by the hardworking gardeners of Rosa & Berry Tawada park. They also maintain a blog on their website, where they showcase and update visitors on the progress of the garden.
Image credit: Rose & Berry Tawada
Strolling through this garden truly does transport one all the way into the pages of the famed novel, as the park creates a mystical and dreamy atmosphere within the garden – especially with the creeping vines on the white walls.
Image adapted from: Rose & Berry Tawada
Meet characters from Shaun the Sheep
Image credit: @rosa_and_berry_tawada via Instagram
The park also has a Shaun the Sheep Farm Garden, which showcases the characters from the popular cartoon show nestled in peaceful natural scenery. Visitors can enter the characters’ homes and take cute pictures.
Image credit: Rose & Berry Tawada
The themed area of the park replicates scenes from the show itself, bringing visitors back to their childhood times. You can sit alongside the farmer himself to watch TV, while pretending to be unaware of the sheeps’ antics – just like the character in the show.
Image credit: Rose & Berry Tawada
The Shaun the Sheep Farm Garden also has a themed cafe which serves food and drinks with the characters’ faces on them. Sounds a little terrifying, but we promise that no farm animals were harmed in the making of these treats.
Interact with farm animals
Image credit: @rosa_berry_tawada via Instagram
In a place with a whole garden dedicated to the animated series, it’s only natural that Rosa & Berry Tawada has a farm with actual sheep and other animals as well, including ponies. Visitors can have fun interacting with the animals, and it is a safe activity for children and adults of all ages.
Image credit: @rosa_berry_tawada via Instagram
Additionally, there are also little sheep shows, where guests can watch their fluffy friends race along the tracks or jump across hurdles. Talk about counting sheep – although we’re pretty sure that you won’t be falling asleep as you do so here.
Image credit: @rosa_and_berry_tawada via Instagram
Rosa & Berry Tawada Park activities
Image credit: Rose & Berry Tawada
Hidden in the hillside is a fairy village where visitors can feel like they’re a fae living in the woods. Fairy homes are built into the hills themselves, much like hobbit homes portrayed in J.R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series.
Image credit: @rosa_and_berry_tawada via Instagram
Described as a village “where fairies live”, the Fairy Garden is not only a dreamy wonderland where visitors can live out their fantasy dreams, it also contains a workshop where guests can make souvenirs using wool, or learn to cook Shaun the Sheep-themed pizza and bread.
Image credit: @rosa_and_berry_tawada via Instagram
The park also has multiple cafes and restaurants featuring food obtained from their garden and farm, giving visitors a delectable farm-to-plate experience. Visitors can enjoy a scrumptious meal while surrounded by the beautiful natural scenery of the park as well.
Getting to Rosa & Berry Tawada park
Image credit: Rose & Berry Tawada
Be it young or old, Rosa & Berry Tawada has something for everyone. Even a short visit here is bound to lift your spirits, and provide a refreshing and serene break from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.
Rosa & Berry Tawada park is best accessed by bus or taxi from JR Maibara Station that’s located in the city of Maibara, Shiga Prefecture. From the station’s east exit, board the bus that’s on the Maibara Tawada line. A one-way ride takes around 28 minutes and costs ¥500 (~USD3.68). There are only 7 trips made daily, so check the schedule here beforehand.
Admission into the park during peak periods will cost more, at ¥1,900 (~USD13.97) for adults and ¥1,100 (~USD8.09) for children aged 4 to 11. Hence, we recommend avoiding national holidays such as Golden Week for a cheaper fee.
Admission: ¥1,700 (~USD12.50) for adults, ¥1,000 (~USD7.36) for children aged 4 to 11, free for children aged 3 and under
Address: 605-10 Tawada, Maibara-shi, Shiga 521-0081
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 10am-5pm, Daily (Last admission at 4.30pm) (Closed on Tuesdays)
Contact: 0749-54-2323
For more places to visit in Japan, check out this family-friendly park with a petting zoo, this vast flower meadow with an “Anywhere Door” just like in Doraemon, or catch these 12 types of sakura in Japan next spring.
Cover image adapted from: @rosa_berry_tawada, @rosa_and_berry_tawada, Rose & Berry Tawada