The windmill, De Liefde, is named after the first Dutch ship to arrive in Japan in 1600.
The windmill is a 'polder' style mill, specifically built for water management, mirroring those used to reclaim land in the Netherlands.
The park's annual tulip festival features over 100 varieties of tulips, totaling approximately 700,000 bulbs.
The windmill contains authentic mechanical wooden gears and sails shipped directly from the Netherlands.
Sakura is historically significant as a center of 'Rangaku' (Dutch Learning) during the late Edo period.
The park provides habitat and viewing opportunities for various migratory birds frequenting Lake Inba.
Sunflowers planted in the summer can reach densities of over 15,000 blooms across the fields.
The site serves as a popular trailhead for cycling routes that circle the Lake Inba basin.
Sakura Hometown Square is a Dutch-themed public park located on the banks of Lake Inba, notable for the De Liefde, a full-scale, authentic Dutch windmill. The windmill was constructed in 1994 using traditional techniques by Dutch craftsmen and remains the only one of its kind in Japan that pumps water. The grounds feature seasonal flower fields that rotate between tulips in the spring, sunflowers in the summer, and cosmos in the autumn. The site hosts the Sakura Tulip Festa, one of Japan's largest tulip festivals, attracting thousands of visitors each year. Beyond the windmill, the park provides open green spaces and walking paths directly along the shoreline of Lake Inba. The area is intentionally designed to reflect the historical cultural exchange between Japan and the Netherlands, which dates back to the Edo period through the study of Dutch medicine and science in Sakura.
From the lakeside path looking toward the windmill with the tulip or sunflower fields in the foreground.
Check the park's official blooming calendar online before visiting to time your trip with peak tulip or sunflower seasons.
Bring binoculars if you are interested in birdwatching along the Lake Inba shoreline.
Rent a bicycle nearby to explore the scenic cycling paths that extend from the park around the lake.
Do not enter the flower beds, as the soil and plants are fragile; stay strictly on the designated walking paths.
The windmill interior is generally closed on Mondays; if a holiday falls on a Monday, it closes the following Tuesday.
