Information for the 40th annual Grand Bonsai Festival in the Omiya Bonsai Village in Saitama City. Updated May 3rd 2023.
Grand Bonsai Festival
Saitama City have scheduled the Grand Bonsai Festival to take place, as always, during Golden week. It will be on for three days from May 3rd to May 5th. This annual event in the Omiya Bonsai Village offers the opportunity to view special exhibitions. The work of world famous bonsai masters will be on display throughout the period. The area is open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm. However, on the 5th – the last day – the festival finishes up at 4 pm.
The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum and the six bonsai gardens of the acclaimed Omiya bonsai village work together to demonstrate the beauty and appeal of bonsai. If you have never been to the bonsai area in Omiya, this is the perfect excuse to make your first trip. The museum and gardens are spectacular all year round, but during this festival you can see works that aren’t normally on display. There are also several workshops, exhibitions and festival stalls during the period of the fair.
Omiya Station
The street running parallel to Omiya Station at the East exit is pedestrianized from 9 am to 5 pm for the three days of the festival. There are food trucks, festival stalls and live performances, often by street performers, for the three days.
Hikawa Shrine
There will be bonsai exhibitions, festival stalls, street performers and live performances along the two kilometer approach to the (Musashi Ichinomiya) Hikawa shrine on the 4th and the 5th. They will also have food trucks (kitchen cars) and workshops. In addition, on the 5th you can try on a kimono, for free!
Omiya Park
Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine is located in Omiya Park. The nearest station to the Bonsai Village is ‘Omiyakoen‘ station, but you can also alight at Omiya Park and walk up the famous approach to Hikawa Shrine and through the park to get to the Bonsai Village. It takes about 25 minutes, but it is a very pleasant walk! It would be particularly worth doing that on the 4th and 5th when the aforementioned events are on at the shrine.
Omiya Bonsai Festival Information
Event: The 40th Omiya Bonsai Festival 第40回大盆栽まつり
Dates: May 3rd to May 5th annually.
Times: 9 am to 5 pm on May 3rd and 4th and until 4 pm on the 5th.
Venue: Omiya Bonsai Village (See map below access)
Access
The Omiya Bonsai Village spreads from OmiyaKoen station to Toro Station. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is closest to the latter (Toro) station, while most of the nurseries are closest to Omiyakoen station. Parking is very limited, so they ask, where possible, to come by public transport.
Editor’s note: the Omiya Grand Bonsai Festival was on in 2022 for the first time in three years. The festival was first postponed, then ultimately cancelled in 2020. It was also cancelled in 2021. This post was temporarily off the blog between April 2020 and April 2022. Updated annually. Last update: April 13th 2023.