2026 Definitive Edition: 7 Ice Tulips｜A Guide to the Best of Winter and Early Spring Blooms
🌷 What are ice tulips, those special flowers that bloom in winter?
During the harshest days of winter, ice tulips offer an early glimpse of spring's colors. These special tulips bloom in winter when frozen bulbs are planted. Their petals shimmer translucently in the crisp air, radiating a delicate beauty as if each held a tiny light within.
The moment when color softly touches winter parks and gardens feels wonderfully fresh, gently warming the hearts of visitors. With fewer people than in spring, enjoying tulips at leisure amidst the quiet is another charm.
🌼 When is the best time to see ice tulips?
Ice tulips bloom earlier than regular tulips, and in the Kanto region, Late December to early February will be at its peak.
- ❄️ Year-end to early JanuaryThe period when the first blooms begin
- 🌸 Mid- to late JanuaryThe peak when the flowers are in their most stable condition and their colors appear most vividly.
- 🌷 Early FebruaryThe season when late-blooming flowers can be enjoyed
The lower the temperature, the longer they last, so during winter when cold spells persist, you can enjoy petals with excellent firmness and beautiful shape.
📸 Harness winter light. Tips for photographing ice tulips
The impression of ice tulips in photos changes dramatically depending on how you handle the light.
🌿 Positioning the background lower creates beautiful bokeh.
Squatting down to take the photo clears the background and makes the tulips stand out.
🌅 The morning oblique light brings out its beauty
Light filtering through the petals enhances their translucency and three-dimensionality.
🎨 Exposure is slightly underexposed.
White, yellow, and pink tend to blow out easily, so -0.3 to -1.0 EV is safer.
📐 Clusters evoke a sense of depth.
Using foreground blur or varying flower heights creates a soft, spring-like feel.
🌂 It also pairs well with days after rain or cloudy days.
The texture of the petals appears moist, and the color rendering improves, making it highly recommended.
🌷Introduction of 7 ice tulip spots
There are many places where visitors can enjoy the winter flowers, but the spot where ice tulips bloom is particularly special because it offers an “unseasonal spring” feeling.
There are many places, mainly in the Kanto region, where you can enjoy colorful tulips even during the cold season, extending the pleasure of winter walks and photography.
Here we introduce seven places famous for ice tulips, which look beautiful only in winter.
FirstUeno Park (Tokyo)In the park, tulips bloom as if to add a splash of color to the quietness of winter. The flowers lined up among the deciduous trees look like a gift from winter. When the morning sun shines through, the petals become softly translucent, and gentle pastel colors emerge. Since they are scattered around the fountain square, visitors can easily stop by during their stroll.
Hana to Midori no Hureai Center (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture)At the "Ice Tulip Garden", colorful ice tulips are in full bloom all over the area, creating a vivid scene that is hard to believe it is winter. The colorful flowers sway in the wind, making visitors feel as if they are strolling through a garden in early spring. Even in the cold air, you can enjoy a view of flowers that will lighten your heart.
Enoshima Samuel Cocking Garden (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture)is a spot with a special atmosphere where visitors can enjoy tulips along with the hints of the winter sea. Surrounded by tropical buildings and plants, the blooming flowers in the garden are somewhat reminiscent of an exotic garden. During the afternoon light, the colors of the flowers deepen, and the way they sway in the sea breeze is very impressive. The lighthouse and the ocean in the background make for a unique winter photo opportunity.
Funabashi Andersen Park (Chiba Prefecture)At the "Ice Tulip Garden", you can enjoy a beautiful flower landscape with many potted ice tulips. Because each pot is carefully placed, the combination of colors and their arrangement is so beautiful that it looks like a garden in a picture book. It is easy to catch sight of the flowers at eye level, making it an attractive place to take a leisurely stroll while admiring the flowers.
Tokyo German Village (Chiba Prefecture)The combination of windmills and ice tulips creates an impressive view in the spacious grounds at the Under a blue sky, the silhouette of the windmill and the brightly colored flowers line up like a European winter garden. The colors of the tulips stand out even more in the open landscape.
New York Lamp Museum & Flower Garden (Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture)The ice tulip scenery at the "Ice Tulip Landscape" is unique to the location facing the sea. The combination of the tropical atmosphere of the park and the flowers blooming against the blue sea makes you forget that it is winter. The flowers and the sea, which change their expressions depending on how the light falls on them, are so attractive that visitors will want to see them again and again.
National Hitachi Seaside Park (Ibaraki Prefecture)The winter sea seen from the terrace and the ice tulip beds in front of it create a beautiful contrast. In the clear air, the colors of the flowers and the blue of the sea are distinctly different, and the colors of spring are reflected in the dignified winter scenery. The sense of scale of the vast park is also a unique attraction of this location.
Ice tulips are a gentle reminder of spring in the winter landscape. They look different in different places, such as city parks, gardens, seaside areas, and theme parks. Enjoy the “unseasonal spring” that can be found only during the cold season at your favorite places.
