Kinchakuda Manjushage Park in Saitama prefecture’s Hidaka city is one of the best places near Tokyo to see red spider lilies, also known as higanbana or manjushage in Japanese. With about five million of these unique flowers expected to bloom between September 16 and October 1 2023, the sprawling Saitama park will be bringing back its annual autumn flower festival.
Aside from fields of beautiful scarlet red spider lilies, you’ll also find booths at the festival selling a variety of local food and drinks as well as souvenirs.
As this is one of Japan's largest concentrations of red spider lilies, the organisers are expecting large crowds, especially on these dates: September 16-18 and September 22-24. As parking is limited, we recommend taking the train instead. It takes about 90 minutes from Ikebukuro Station to Koma Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro line; from there, it’s another 15-minute walk to the park.
Kinchakuda Manjushage Park is open from 9am to 4.30pm. Entry costs ¥500 per person (free for junior high school students and younger children).
To all photographers and Instagrammers who’re planning to shoot photos and videos, note that you’re not allowed to set up tripods at the park.
Keep an eye on the flowering status of the spider lilies via the event website and Facebook – so you know when’s the best time to visit.
This article was originally published on August 25 2022 and updated on August 8 2023.
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