Information for the annual hydrangea and iris exhibition and the iris festival at Chikozan Park in Sayama City. There are hydrangea and two different iris gardens in the park. The latter have 4000 iris between them. The hydrangea and iris bloom around the same time, so they have an hydrangea and iris ‘exhibition’ annually for two weeks. In 2026, its on a bit earlier than normal. Apart from both flowers blooming during this period, they have a display of both in the exhibition hall of the park. In addition, there is a two day iris festival during this period.
Iris at Chikozan Park
Chikozan park, Sayama City, is known for both its roses and its iris. The roses are just finished now – they bloom for much of May. During the period of bloom they have a two day festival for the roses too. They added a wintersweet grove in 2018 and this year they added even more trees, so I have no doubt that the wintersweet grove will continue to grow in fame and popularity. But at the end of May, its the iris and hydrangea flowers that are in bloom. There are actually two different iris displays. The main one is at the iris garden located near both the playgrounds and the children’s zoo, where about 2600 iris grow. But there is also a display near the wintersweet grove where there are a further 1200 iris flowers.
The hydrangea usually start to bloom a little after the iris, around early June, but they are early in 2026. Likewise, the hydrangea are usually in bloom for a little while after the iris finish.
Iris and Hydrangea exhibition
The iris and hydrangea exhibition is on from Saturday May 30th to Sunday June 14th 2026. The iris festival is on for two days during that period:
Iris Festival
The 2026 iris festival is on Saturday June 6th and Sunday June 7th. There will be food trucks in the park for the occasion. Also, as you can see in the feature photo at the top of the post, they usually put colorful lanterns up. The lanterns are on the aforementioned slope that leads down to the main iris garden.
>>Don’t miss the main article about Chikozan park with lots of information and photos of the park in each season.
Information
Event: Chikozan Park Iris Festival 智光山公園花菖蒲まつり
Date: Saturday June 6th and Sunday June 7th 2026
Time: from 10 am to 3 pm
Cost: there is no admission fee
Venue: Chikozan Park Iris Garden, 智光山公園花菖蒲園、Kashiwabara, Sayama, Saitama 350-1335. View on Google Maps.
Access: A Seibu Bus bound for Chikozan park goes from Sayamashi station. There is parking near the rose garden as well as at least three other parking lots. All parking lots are free.
Official website. More information in English: