Kodai Hasu no Sato Illumination – Gyoda City, Kodai Hasu no Sato “ancient lotus pond”, is best known for its paddy art which you can view from an observational tower. It really is a sight to behold. The rice paddy art attracts visitors in the Autumn, but in the winter it is the night illumination that brings the crowds. First. Then in the New Year the tower is a popular place to witness the first sunrise of the year (please note booking is now open for the first sunrise of 2023). Following that, there are wintersweet flowers from around the first week in January to early February. They are followed by the plum blossoms, which the park has also become known for in recent years.
(If you are looking for information about the straw art event: unfortunately it was dropped in 2018 and hasn’t been back since).
Illumination at Kodai Hasu no Sato
The night illumination at Kodai Hasu no Sato is one of the longest running night illuminations in Saitama. This year, 2022, the winter illumination won’t start until December. In the past it started at the end of November. The 2022 dates are from Saturday December 3rd until public holiday Monday January 9th 2023. Until December 25th there are some additional illuminations and Christmas decorations in the park’s observation tower. The illumination is turned on once it gets dark and stays on until 9 pm. (In previous years it was 9.30 pm, but possibly due to the pandemic it has been 9 pm since 2020).
They normally use about 150,000 lights for the display. In 2020 it was a slightly smaller display with 130,000 lights. Currently, the number for 2022 is not available. The observation tower in the park, which is normally closed in the evening, stays open a little later during the period of illumination. But not for the full time. On weekdays it will stay open until 7.30 pm and on weekends until 8.30 pm. The event itself is free, but if you want to view from the 50 meter high observation tower there is a 400 yen cover charge for that.
Switch on Event
They have a switch on event on Saturday December 3rd. The website says they will release information for the switch on event at a later date. As of November 30th 2022, the information has not yet been released. Most likely it will be on between 4.30 and 5 pm, but no guarantees. If you are going to Kodai Hasu no Sato on December 3rd, I highly recommend you go on to Oshi Castle and Gyoda Hachiman Shrine afterward for their stunning light up events.
Mini Concerts
There will be concerts on in the observation tower at the weekends, 7 nights in total, in December. As such, you have to pay into the tower to enjoy these concerts. They are on between 4 pm and 7.30 pm. In addition, there is a short projection mapping illumination display in the tower in harmony with the music from 5.30 pm. The dates are:
- Sunday December 4th
- Saturday December 10th
- Sunday December 11th
- Saturday December 17th
- Sunday December 18th
- Saturday December 24th
- Sunday December 25th
Information
Event: Kodai Hasu no Sato Winter Illumination 古代蓮の里イルミネーション２０２２
Dates: December 3rd 2022 to January 9th 2023.
Times: 4.30 pm to 9 pm (observation tower not open the full time, see above).
Cost: free, but if you want to enter the observation tower so as to view the illumination from above, it costs 400 yen for adults, 200 yen for children aged over 6 years old. Children under 6 years old are not charged.
Venue: Kodai Hasu no Sato, the ancient lotus park of Gyoda: 2375-1 Kobari, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0024 (map at the bottom of the post).
Access
Approximately 25 minutes from the Hanyu exit of the Tohoku expressway. A city circulating bus service is available from Gyoda shi Station (14 minutes to Kodai-hasu no Sato). Parking is free most of the year, except during the height of lotus season (June / July).
Some other Night Illumination in Saitama in 2022 ~ 2023:
- Seibuen Illumination brings us Memories of Light!
- Saitama Shintoshin Illumination at Keyaki Hiroba
- Cocoon City Illumination
- Seien Park Illumination Fukaya
- Winter Illumination @ Tobu Hybrid Park 2021 | MIYASHIRO
Last update: November 30th 2022
like it! And had no idea that there was such a thing as ‘rice paddy art’! 🙂