For those who likes herbs, stop by Tazawako Herb Garden Heart Herb (田沢湖ハーブガーデン ハートハーブ) when you visit Lake Tazawa. The garden that is around a 10-minute walk from Tazawako Resthouse is filled with about 250 different types of plants, including herbs inclusive! Not only can you adore and smell the flowers and herbs in the garden, you can also reserve to participate in various plant-related workshops!
Tazawako Herb Garden Heart Herb’s Outdoor Garden and Workshops
At the back of the Western-style building, there is a massive garden that is quite relaxing to gaze on.
If you drop by between 10 am and 11:30 am or 1 pm and 3 pm (until 3:30 pm on weekends and public holidays), you can sign up to participate in one of their handcrafted workshops that should take less than 30 minutes!
Most workshops involve gorgeous dried flowers, such as pressed flower magnets or scented pillows. If you currently live in Japan, you can participate in their pot plant-making workshop to decorate your home and/or grow herbs for your cooking (*’▽’).
The workshops there don’t need to be booked in advance. You can simply walk in and participate (after paying for the workshop, of course).
For a list of workshops that might be available on the day, check out their website HERE!
Important: The workshops need to be reserved a week in advance.
Dining and Tea Time at Tazawako Herb Garden Heart Herb
As you get close to the main door of the herb garden, you will be welcomed by a Totoro (for all the Ghibli fans to get excited)!
Entry to the garden is free. So unless you plan to have a cup of tea or lunch or get yourself some souvenirs, you can practically enjoy this spot for free (^_-)-☆.
Speaking of lunch, you can enjoy their herbs-infused dishes at their restaurant from 11 am to 3:30 pm (the last order is at 3 pm)!
Before the pandemic, they provided a lunch buffet during the weekends and public holidays that included all Western, Japanese, and Chinese cuisines plus dessert. This is currently unavailable but will likely return once the pandemic ends.
For now, check out the photos of their individual menus HERE. Each dish comes with two side dishes.
And if you just want to enjoy a cup of herbal tea and maybe a plate of dessert. Their herb tea bar has more than 15 different types of tea for you to choose from (^_-)-☆. The tea and cake are served from
- 10 am to 3:30 pm (the last order is taken at 3 pm) on weekdays
- 10 am to 4:30 pm (the last order is taken at 4 pm) on weekends and public holidays
Important: We have confirmed with the restaurant that the only vegetarian menus in the restaurant are soft drinks and herbal tea at the moment. The broth of the noodle soup contains fish extracts. But when you get there, it won’t hurt to check with them again by utilizing the phrases in our Essential Japanese Travel Phrases for Vegetarian article, as the items on the menu can change.
Tazawako Herb Garden Heart Herb’s Greenhouse
In their greenhouse, you will find a lot of pot plants and gardening-related goods that you can purchase.
While most of us probably won’t be able to bring any of them back overseas, window shopping is always fun!
Important: From mid-November to early April, only the restaurant, souvenir shop, and workshops are open. The garden, greenhouse, and lunch buffet will not be available.
Tazawako Herb Garden Heart Herb’s Business Hours and Access Information
- The garden is around a 10-minute walk from Tazawako Resthouse.
- It is open from mid-April to early November from
- 10 am to 4 pm on weekdays excluding Wenesdays
- 9 am to 5 pm on the weekends and public holidays
- From mid-November to early April, the garden is only open on the weekends and public holidays from 10 am to 4 pm.
Discover Other Attraction at Lake Tazawa
Obviously, Gozanoishi Shrine is just one of the many attractions around Lake Tazawa. The stunning lake has a couple more spots that you might want to visit. For example, the Golden Tatsuko Statue and the Ukiki Shrine in the photo are the two most popular photogenic spots in the area.
So, refer to our Lake Tazawa article to plan your trip!
