Escal Garden, Hakuba Nagano, Japan

Naturalistic Flower Meadow Garden

Escal Garden, Hakuba, Nagano, Japan　

URL : https://www.hakubaescal.com/shokubutsuen/garden/

Under construction since 2022

sqm

10% 

90% 

At the mid-slope of the ski resort, the Escal Garden unfolds as a tapestry of colour that sways gently in the mountain breeze from spring through summer. Here, the design aims to restore natural capital and create a nature-positive flower meadow where visitors can experience the richness of plants and wildlife through all five senses. The garden also embodies an approach to sustainable landscape design that seeks harmony between people and nature, while looking towards the future of the region.

The existing plants on the slope have been carefully arranged according to their species and condition, allowing each to play its natural role within the landscape. From the Alpine Botanical Garden nearby, plants that can thrive at this altitude were selected and reintroduced through a restructured zoning plan. A few horticultural species have also been incorporated to highlight the diversity between cultivated and native vegetation.

In creating the garden, the choice of materials was guided not only by aesthetic and ecological considerations, but also by sustainability and natural cycles. The serpentine rock that forms much of the slope’s soil was reused wherever possible, becoming part of the garden’s underlying structure.

Escal Garden is also home to the monument Bell of Happiness, established in 2006 as part of the Lover’s Sanctuaryproject. Located at the Hakuba Goryu Alpine Botanical Garden, this bell is said to bring happiness when rung together with a loved one, adding a romantic touch to the garden’s atmosphere.

The seasonal colours of flowers and plants, the texture of stone and wood, the movement of wind and light — together they create a sensory experience that connects people to nature. Escal Garden nurtures an approach to sustainable landscape design that integrates nature restoration, aesthetic enjoyment, and environmental education.
It is a place where visitors can feel the circulation of life and nature — and experience, first-hand, what it means to live in harmony with the idea of being nature-positive.