If you are looking for somewhere to view hydrangea in Kazo City Saitama, the Kisai area has a really beautiful selection. Furthermore, you can see Annabelle hydrangea backdropped by Kisai Castle. At the base of the castle you will find more hydrangea in bloom. There is also a lotus pond where currently there are some water lilies in bloom. In addition, there is a walkway with different varieties of hydrangea nearby. You can also see hydrangea at Tamashiki Shrine park, where the 2023 hydrangea festival will take place.
Hydrangea in the Kisai area of Kazo City
Each year in June, thousands of hydrangea bloom in the Kisai Area of Kazo City. The scene of the white smooth annabelle hydrangea with the Kisai Castle in the background is quite insta-famous! Unfortunately, it is not the original castle, but a replica of the main keep. Up close there are many tell tale signs of that, but it looks very picturesque from a distance. Particularly during the hydrangea season. There is a museum within the replica castle.
The most popular hydrangea site in Kisai is that 400 meter stretch from the Kisai Sogo Park parking lot to the back of the Kisai Shiroyama Castle Park. This is where you can get a view of the Annabelle Hydrangea with the castle in the background. Furthermore, there are rice paddies either side of the hydrangea. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 hydrangea. However, there is also another road of hydrangea from the West of the Kisai Sogo Park. That is about 500 meters long. In addition, there are hydrangea in both Kisai Sogo Park and around the castle. In total, Kazo City declare it as 1.5 kilometers of hydrangea in total.
I’d never seen a photo of the walkway that goes from the west of Kisai Sogo Park. Moreover, I’d never seen a photo of the hydrangea around the base of the castle. So it was a nice surprise when I visited today to see there is more to the site than just the row of annabelle hydrangea. If you just want a photo of the hydrangea with the Kisai Castle in the background you’d need no more than 30 minutes at the location. However, if you have the time and the inclination, the west end walkway is also beautiful. And you will find a few more hydrangea around the base of the castle, where there are also water lilies currently in bloom. I spent an hour and half walking around, exploring the area and taking photos.
Kisai Hydrangea Festival in 2023
The Kisai Hydrangea festival is on in 2023, but for the second year in a row it is on at Tamashiki Shrine Park. Before the pandemic it was on around the areas detailed in this post. Information for the 2023 hydrangea festival:
Information
| Hydrangea in Kisai ・騎西あじさいロード | |
|---|---|
| Address: | Sotokawa, Kazo, Saitama 347-0106 |
| Phone: | 0480-73-1111 |
| Season: | Month of June |
| Hours: | 24 hours |
| Cost: | Free |
| Online: | Official event webpage |
Access
You can get a bus from Tobu Isesaki Line Kazo station bound for the driver’s licensing center in Konosu. Alight at the Kisai Hydrangea road bus stop. It takes about ten minutes on foot from the bus stop.
When the festival is on they have a temporary car parking arrangement. In 2021 as there is no festival there is also no official parking for this event. However, you can currently park in Kisai Sogo Park parking lot, which is normally discouraged during the festival period! It is free and when I was there today, parking was plentiful. They also normally have bicycles available for rent during the festival period so you can go further afield and discover more in the area.
Also in Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture:
A selection of places in Kazo City (for even more please use the Kazo tag)
Tis the season to be bloomin!