Shizuoka Webcam – Watch Hamamatsu Flower Park’s Fountain

The Shizuoka Webcam looks out from the Crystal Palace, the large greenhouse at Hamamatsu Flower Park, over the park’s big fountain pond in Hamamatsu, western Shizuoka Prefecture. Terraced lawns climb away from the water, an arched bridge stands on the left, and a long glass-fronted building sits on the far rise. Every half hour while the park is open, jets rise from the pond for a fountain show set to music, turning flat green water into columns of spray for about six minutes. On autumn mornings, mist often hangs over the tree line and the still pond mirrors the sky. By afternoon the sun is behind the camera and the lawns are lit from the front. The stream runs around the clock, though after dark the grounds are close to black.

About Hamamatsu Flower Park

Hamamatsu Flower Park opened on September 10, 1970, in the Kanzanji district near the shore of Lake Hamana, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) west-northwest of Hamamatsu Station. The grounds cover 300,000 square meters (74 acres) and hold around 3,000 kinds of plants. The Hamamatsu City Flower and Greenery Promotion Foundation runs the park, which went through a renovation that began in February 2002 and reopened on March 21, 2003. Hamamatsu Zoo sits next door and connects to it inside the grounds.

The camera’s perch, the Crystal Palace, is the park’s main greenhouse, and its indoor displays change theme six times a year. The pond in front of it is the stage for the water and music fountain show. According to the stream’s operator, the first show starts 30 minutes after the gates open, another follows every 30 minutes for about six minutes, and the last one runs 30 minutes before closing. Between shows the frame is mostly lawn, clipped hedge and still water, with flower beds along the slopes to the left and a small Ferris wheel on the far left horizon. The Flower Train that tours the grounds can sometimes be picked out on the upper terrace.

The big floral seasons are spring and autumn. From late March to mid-April the Cherry and Tulip Garden pairs 1,300 cherry trees with beds of tulips. In September and October red, white, yellow and pink spider lilies bloom, cosmos fill the flower plaza in October, and Mexican bush sage and autumn roses carry on into November.

Weather and Climate in Hamamatsu

Winters here are mild by Japanese standards. January averages a high of 10.6 C (51 F) and a low of 2.4 C (36 F), and December is a little warmer at 13.2 C (56 F) by day. The cold months bring the Enshu no karakaze, a dry winter monsoon wind that makes this part of the coast noticeably windy. Spring warms quickly, with April highs of 19.6 C (67 F) and lows of 10.7 C (51 F), just as the cherry trees and tulips peak.

Summer is hot. August averages 31.8 C (89 F) by day and 24.7 C (76 F) at night, and the city’s weather station has recorded 41.1 C (106.0 F). Rain totals about 1,843 millimeters (72.6 inches) a year, with September the wettest month at 246 millimeters (9.7 inches). October cools to highs of 23.6 C (74 F) and lows of 16.2 C (61 F). On the camera, early October mornings often open in mist that hides the trees on the horizon, and it thins as the day warms.

Things to Do Near Hamamatsu Flower Park

Hamamatsu Zoo is the easiest addition, since it joins the flower park inside the grounds. A short way west lies Kanzanji Onsen, a hot spring resort on the shore of Lake Hamana that opened in 1958 and takes its name from Kanzanji Temple. The Kanzanji Ropeway, about 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) west of the park, runs up Mount Ogusa, a 113 meter (371 foot) hill with panoramic views. Hamanako Pal Pal, an amusement park, is in the same resort area.

Bus line 30 runs from platform 1 of the Hamamatsu Station bus terminal to the Kanzanji Onsen stop in about 40 minutes. Drivers can use the Kanzanji Smart Interchange on the Tomei Expressway, about five minutes from the park, or the Hamamatsu-Nishi Interchange, about 15 minutes away. Hamamatsu is famous for eel, so an eel lunch in town is the natural local meal to pair with a visit.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

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Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on the Shizuoka Webcam?

It shows Hamamatsu Flower Park from the Crystal Palace greenhouse: the big fountain pond in the middle, terraced lawns and an arched bridge behind it, and a long glass-fronted building on the far rise. The fountain show fills the pond with spray for about six minutes every half hour while the park is open.

Where is Hamamatsu Flower Park located?

It is in the Kanzanji area of Chuo Ward, Hamamatsu, in western Shizuoka Prefecture, near the shore of Lake Hamana. Hamamatsu Station is about 11 kilometers (7 miles) to the east-southeast, roughly 40 minutes away on bus line 30.

Can you see Mount Fuji on the Shizuoka Webcam?

No. Mount Fuji stands about 120 kilometers (75 miles) to the northeast, and the horizon on this camera is the park’s own tree line. For Fuji, try the Mount Fuji and Fuji Yui Bypass cameras listed above.

How often is the fountain show at Hamamatsu Flower Park?

Every 30 minutes. The first show starts 30 minutes after opening, each runs about six minutes with music, and the final one is 30 minutes before closing. On the webcam the jets appear as tall plumes of spray across the pond.

What is Hamamatsu Flower Park like in October?

October is an autumn flower month. Spider lilies finish their bloom, cosmos fill the flower plaza, and Mexican bush sage and autumn roses carry on into November. Days are mild, with highs around 23.6 C (74 F), and mornings often start misty on the camera.

When is the best time to visit Hamamatsu Flower Park?

Late March to mid-April is the headline season, when 1,300 cherry trees bloom over the tulips in the Cherry and Tulip Garden. Autumn, from September into November, is the second peak, with spider lilies, cosmos and autumn roses.

What is the weather like in Hamamatsu?

Mild in winter and hot in summer. January highs average 10.6 C (51 F), August highs 31.8 C (89 F), and about 1,843 millimeters (72.6 inches) of rain falls a year, most heavily in September. Dry, gusty winter winds known as the Enshu no karakaze are a local feature.

Is the Hamamatsu Flower Park camera live at night?

Yes, the stream runs 24 hours a day, but the grounds are dark at night, so the frame shows little more than a few distant lights on the horizon. The daylight view returns each morning without anything needing to be reloaded.

Source: ZAZA Magazine Channel