Kasai Rinkai Park

Summer in Japan means intense heat and humidity, vibrant fireworks and festivals, as well as fields of sunflowers. While we wait for the blazing temperatures to die down, hunkered down under air conditioning, others are flourishing in the heat – the defiant and unfettered sunflowers at Tokyo’s Kasai Rinkai Park, that is. The park is home to over 25,000 sunflowers, which are currently in full bloom next to the park’s landmark Ferris wheel (which, by the way, is lit up after dark). Boasting a clear horizon during the evening magic hour, the park’s waterfront location makes it the perfect place to see a proper sunset alongside sunflowers without leaving Tokyo. In conjunction with the light-up near the most photogenic area, food vendors in the park will be offering limited-time sunflower-inspired soft serve ice cream cones and floats, as well as a red and blue soda inspired by the park’s famous sunsets. While you’re there, don’t miss the other light installations on display, illuminating pathways at various locations within the expansive park.