Snail-Shaped GPS Art in a Port Town’s Hydrangea Haven🐌
Located in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, the Shimoda Hydrangea Garden is one of the premier spots on the Izu Peninsula to view hydrangeas. Each June, the hillside of Shimoda Park bursts into bloom with over 150,000 hydrangea plants representing more than 100 varieties, creating a vivid tapestry of color beneath the rainy-season skies.
Shimoda Park, which houses the garden, sits on a hill overlooking Shimoda Port. It holds deep historical significance as the site where Commodore Perry’s Black Ships arrived at the end of the Edo period, opening Japan to the world. Monuments and walking paths throughout the park narrate this pivotal chapter of Japanese history. With the calm blue of the port below and the vibrant hydrangeas around you, this area offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage.
This 9-kilometer GPS art course draws a whimsical snail shape through the area, making it a perfect tribute to the hydrangea season. Along gently sloping paths and scenic viewpoints overlooking the harbor, your footsteps become a living artwork on the map. This is an experience that uniquely combines flower viewing, history, and physical activity — all set in the charming port town of Shimoda.🐌🐌🐌
TOURISTS SPOT
- Shimoda Ajisai garden (Hydrangea garden)
- Road Station Kaikoku Shimoda Minato
- Shimoda Kaikoku Museum
- Ryosenji Temple
- Perry Road
- Shimoda Floating Aquarium
- Ochagasaki Observation Deck
- Shimoda Castle Ruins
- Monument of Japan’s Opening to The World
- Old Sawamura House
- Shimoda Ropeway (Shin-Shimoda Station)
- Izukyū-Shimoda Station
REFFERENCE
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
