What to Do at the Wind Garden
The Wind in the Flowers
Garden designer Ueno Sayuki created this garden as the primary set for a 2008 TV drama called Kaze no Gaaden. The flowers and the set are the main attractions at the Wind Garden. That includes the scent of around 450 varieties of flowers. Visitors here on the weekend can also make a memento of their visit at the pressed-flower workshop, a project that takes about an hour.
Since Kaze no Garden is part of the gigantic Prince Grand Resort Furano complex, there are plenty of activities close by. Ascend in a hot-air balloon to survey the countryside, for example, or take the Furano Ropeway to get a top-down view of the Wind Garden and the whole resort.
For visitors that prefer to stay on the ground, there is a Segway tour that explores the grassy hills. There is also a “tree-trekking” course with 19 options that should appeal to families with children who are in primary school and above. “Ground golf,” a Japanese variation of park golf, can be played on a 36-hole course nearby.
The Ningle Terrace shopping area features handcrafted goods from around Hokkaido sold in small, individual huts. The area is reportedly inhabited by “ningles,” which are small elves that come out at night to work, especially in the garden.