Rokka Forest

A garden built from a flower motif

Rokka Forest, or Rokka no Mori, is a garden and art landscape in Nakasatsunai, in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region. Rokkatei says the project grew from a wish to create a woodland filled with the wildflowers pictured on the company’s familiar floral wrapping paper. The grounds cover about 100,000 square metres, with seasonal plants, galleries and outdoor works arranged through a natural setting. This is not a formal flower bed designed for a quick photo alone: the walk links landscape, illustration and the company’s cultural programme.

The garden opened on 1 September 2007, according to Rokkatei’s company chronology. Its name, “Rokka,” evokes the six flowers associated with Tokachi and the floral paper: visitors may encounter Ezo gentian, rugosa rose, large-flowered trillium, dogtooth violet, Ezo kingcup and other native plants as seasons change. Blooming is not synchronized across the grounds, and a plant’s appearance depends on weather and the time of year. The official Japanese site maintains a flower calendar, so check it close to a visit rather than expecting every species to be in bloom.

The setting belongs to rural Tokachi, with the Hidaka Mountains in the distance, mature trees and a stream described by local tourism sources. Rokkatei says galleries are housed in old Croatian buildings relocated to the grounds. Their presence gives the walk a sequence of thresholds: from open garden to intimate interiors and back to the landscape. Visitors who take time between buildings can notice how the art is framed by the surrounding meadow and trees, instead of treating each gallery as a disconnected stop.

Art galleries and stories behind the wrapping paper

Several exhibition spaces connect the garden with the artist Naoyuki Sakamoto, whose Hokkaido wildflower and mountain drawings informed Rokkatei’s floral motif. The official site lists a Sakamoto memorial gallery, a sketch gallery showing notebooks associated with settlement life and mountain walking, and a space for the flower-pattern wrapping paper. The latter presents seven original collage works by Sakamoto. These displays help visitors understand that the printed flowers were based on an artist’s close observation of Hokkaido plants, not a generic decorative pattern.

Other spaces widen the story beyond one artist. The Sairo history gallery introduces the children’s poetry magazine Sairo and shows cover art and selected issues illustrated by Sakamoto and Masami Mano. A donor gallery brings together works given to the collection, while other rooms present paintings, drawings and landscapes. Rokkatei’s official listings change by season and exhibition, so use the current facility page to check which buildings are open. The mix rewards a slower visit: the garden is a setting for art, and the art gives the plants a cultural history.

Outdoor works continue that dialogue. The grounds include a central open space, a sculpture inspired by Rodin’s Thinker, and animal sculptures by Sanshiro Aoki placed in the woods and near the stream. The official site invites visitors to look for them, but the works are not a substitute for the garden itself. Notice the changing view through trees, the flow between paths and galleries, and the way sculptures sit within the landscape. The experience is more like a walk punctuated by small discoveries than a linear museum visit.

Planning the visit in Tokachi

The published 2026 season ran from 24 April through 12 October. Rokkatei’s official page listed hours of 10 a.m.–4 p.m. in April, May, August and September; 9 a.m.–4 p.m. in June and July; and 10 a.m.–3 p.m. in October. The listed single-entry price was ¥1,200 for adults and ¥800 for elementary and junior-high students; group rates for parties of 20 or more and a combined annual pass were also shown. These figures describe the 2026 season, not a promise for 2027. On 8 October 2026, the official page did not yet show 2027 dates, so check again before travel.

The address is 249-6 Tokiwa Nishi 3-sen, Nakasatsunai, Kasai District, Hokkaido. The official facility listing provides parking for 80 cars. Nakasatsunai’s tourism association says the village is about 15 minutes by car from Tokachi-Obihiro Airport, while its bus information describes a route from Obihiro Station to Nakasatsunai of about an hour; airport bus connections require a transfer and there is no direct airport bus to the village. These are local access estimates, not guaranteed journey times to the garden entrance. Confirm current bus timetables and the final connection before relying on public transport.

Rokka Forest is about a ten-minute drive from the Nakasatsunai Art Village, according to the local tourism association, making the two grounds possible companions on a day trip. They are separate facilities with their own seasonal schedules and admission arrangements; a combined annual pass has been advertised for paid areas, but its terms should be checked for the season in question. The forest closes for winter, and no 2027 opening period was listed at the time this article was prepared. Do not plan around last year’s dates without checking the official page.

Seasonality, etiquette and what to expect

The most rewarding time to visit depends on what matters to you: flowers, foliage, art spaces or a quiet walk. Spring and summer bring different stages of the flowering calendar, while autumn has shorter published hours. The official site updates plant notes and seasonal facility information, but nature does not follow a fixed timetable. If a particular bloom is your reason for travelling, consult the current calendar and keep expectations flexible. A garden spread over ten hectares cannot be understood from one viewpoint; allow enough time to walk between the galleries and open areas.

Practical details matter in a rural setting. The official page lists a shop selling sweets and original goods, and the local profile identifies a café on the grounds; confirm what is open on your date. Wear shoes suited to paths and weather, stay on visitor routes, and do not pick flowers or disturb the sculptures. Rain can change the feel of an outdoor visit, and the seasonal closing date means the grounds are not available year-round. Check the latest announcements before making a long drive from Obihiro or other parts of Tokachi.

Rokka Forest is distinctive because it brings together a company’s visual identity, Hokkaido’s native plants and a sequence of small art spaces. The story is not that a garden reproduces untouched wilderness: it is a deliberately made landscape that invites attention to the flowers behind an illustration and to the works housed among them. A thoughtful visit moves at walking pace, checks the seasonal facts and leaves room for quiet observation. For travelers exploring Tokachi, it offers a cultivated encounter with regional nature and art rather than a generic attraction built around a single photo stop.