Azalea Ogose – beautiful azalea sightseeing spot in Ogose town, Saitama. Information for the 2023 Azalea festival is included in this post -updated on April 14th 2023 with the new start date for the festival and new feature photo (at the top of the post).
It is a little sad when the prunus (plum, cherry, peach blossoms) finish in Japan. But only a wee bit, because right behind them comes a multitude of equally stunning flora. Straight after the yaezakura, a late blooming cherry blossom, the moss phlox are in bloom. Then peonies (among others) come into bloom. As well as one of my favorites: azalea. There are dozens of places to see azalea in Saitama, but one of the most picturesque is in Ogose:
Ogose
Ogose is a rural town in the Iruma-gun of Saitama Prefecture. It is home to dozens of off the beaten path locations and hidden gems. Earlier in the year, we were fortunate enough to go see the plum blossoms in Ogose Bairin. Ogose is most famed for these, the plum blossoms, as the Ogose Bairin is one of the three “great” plum blossom groves of the Kanto plain. The official flower of Ogose though is the Yamabuki yellow rose. You can see the beautiful yellow flower, in Yamabuki no Sato. It is one of the largest displays of “yamabuki” yellow rose in the Kanto plain.
Ogose is also popular for hiking, especially around the waterfalls. This temple has a hiking trail to Sakuranoyama and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers on Taikanzan. Stunning sakura grow there in early April and March. However, in more recent years – although the flowers have actually existed for 300 years – Ogose is becoming increasingly known for its azalea. (Don’t miss this other amazing azalea spot also in Ogose). The scenery at Godaison is attracting people from far and wide…
Godaison Azalea Park
Godaison Tsutsuji Park is a park of 10,000 azalea flowers at a site of worship to the five great reverence of Buddhism. It was created to mimic the 88 temples of Shikoku and the Japan 100 Kannon. The latter is a pilgrimage circuit in which Saitama features a lot. Godaison was the name given to the area after the five great reverence, also translated to the five Buddhist deities. Tsutsuji means azalea.
Unfortunately, there is such a mishmash of English and Japanese used in translations with little consistency, that the park has ended up as Godaison Tsutsuji park officially in English. Even though Godaison Azalea park is probably more accurate and / or easily understood by non Japanese speakers. (Godaison is not translated as it is more a place name than a description).
Azalea at Godaison
There are approximately 10,000 azalea comprising five main shades with several variations at Godaison. They typically bloom at the end of April to early May. This year, 2019, the official season was from April 20th until May 6th. However, I visited today, May 7th, and while the peak is past, there is still a large percentage of the flowers in full bloom.
The flowers are spread across five areas interlinked with walkways. All are on a hillside and in some places the incline is quite steep. Their location on an incline makes the scene most dramatic as you approach it as you can appreciate somewhat of a bird’s eye view from below. The top of the hill also provides a great view of Ogose town below.
In most places around the hills, they have put in either paved walkways with support rails on one side, or makeshift steps with a wooden block to make the ascent safer and easier.
Shrines at Azalea Ogose Godaison
There is one shrine deep in the woods on the south end as well as two other shrines near the car park on the north end. You can see one of the shrines as you approach, with its beautiful red torii backdropped by the vibrant flowers.
There is also another shrine and burial place on the south end, which was off access from the park today. They have built a new dam at the edge of the south end and are currently working on refining it. Beside the dam there is a picturesque babbling brook.
Godaison Azalea Festival 2023
For the first time in four years Ogose Town have scheduled the Godaison Azalea Festival for 2023. In 2023, the festival starts on Saturday April 22nd 15th. Initially, the date was set for the 22nd, but at some point they brought it forward because the azalea are nearing full bloom as of April 14th 2023. The end date was also changed – to Sunday May 7th (from May 3rd). The azalea are expected to be in their best condition from the 15th to the 25th of April. Please note, that as they have bloomed early, they may also end early i.e. before the festival has ends on May 7th.
When there is a festival on you have to pay to enter the shrine grounds. In addition, you also have to pay for parking. It costs 300 yen to enter the festival area and 400 yen for parking. You can check on the official site, linked hereafter, for the current condition of the azalea and any further changes to the schedule. Official site.
In Summary
I was glad I made the 35 minute car journey to see the azalea in Ogose today. The bursts of colour on the hill really do look spectacular. I do think that even for those coming by train or from further afield that, if you combine the visit with an extended hike in the area or a ramble around town, that it is worth the journey. The flowers won’t last much longer though so I would say if you can’t make it in the next few days, maybe hold off until next year when they will be in bloom again.
Azalea Ogose Information
Season: end of April to early May
Hours: 9 am to 4 pm during the festival (see festival section)
Cost: 300 yen for anyone over the age of 12 during the festival season only
Access
The Azalea in Ogose (Godaison Tsutsuji Park) are about a fifteen minute walk from Ogose station. Ogose station is on both JR Hachiko and Tobu Ogose lines.
By car, the nearest interchange is the Tsurugashima interchange on the Kanetsu expressway. It is about a fifteen minute drive from the park. There are three official parking lots. Like the precincts, there is a cover charge for the three weeks of the festival, but free otherwise. It costs 500 yen per car.
In the area:
Opark Ogose – campsite with log cabins, trailer house, pao and indoor play area and pools:
Oh my god! The colours make it look like the Shire!
Haha, love that. It does look a bit like the shire doesn’t it!