There are several different lavender fields in Kuki City, mostly within the vicinity of City Hall Shobu Branch. Between them they grow three different type of lavender: Hidcote (English lavender), Lavandula Grosso (French lavender) and Lavandula stoechas (Spanish lavender). The site at Kuki City Hall, known as Lavender Street, grows all three lavender types. There is also a “lavender hill” in nearby Shirasagi Park with mainly Hidcote / English lavender. In total, they estimate there is about 11,000 lavender in Kuki City.
Lavender Street
The lavender fields by Kuki City Hall Shobu Branch are on Google Maps as Lavender Street. On the Kuki City website they refer to the “lavender flower bed”, “lavender embankment” and “lavender garden”. Essentially all three are the lavender around the city hall marked on maps as lavender street. They typically bloom from mid June to the end of June. However, they were well early when I visited in 2021. On my visit on June 8th 2021 the Hidcote was already in full bloom. Even the French lavender was practically in full bloom. They are not quite as early this year (2022), but they have started showing signs of blooming earlier than the average year.
Festival
During the period of bloom there is normally a “Blue” festival in Kuki City for the middle two weeks of June. And I am happy to report that it is scheduled for 2022. It was named the Blue festival, because it is not just in celebration of the lavender, but also the nearby Iris too. The main site of the festival is the area around the Shobu branch of City Hall, near the lavender. When the festival is on there is limited parking at the lavender site itself, because they use the larger car park for the food and festival stalls. There is also a stage set up for live entertainment. But there is parking elsewhere.
One of the highlights of the festival is lavender flavored food, including lavender ice cream! You can normally borrow a bike for free when there is a festival on (no guarantees for this element in 2022). It is a great way to incorporate the iris garden and Shirasagi Park too. The iris garden is North West of city hall branch office. It takes about 12 minutes on foot to the iris garden from city hall. Lavender Hill at Shirasagi Park is south east of city hall / lavender street. It takes 10 minutes on foot.
Shirasagi Park
Shirasagi Park is separate to the City Hall area lavender, but it is within walking distance. The park is split either side of a minor road. There is a footbridge in the park connecting each side. The North end of the park has a water feature and a playground. South of the road that divides the park is lavender hill.
Lavender Hill
There are 2000 lavender at the lavender hill. They are mainly Hidcote lavender. The lavender at Shirasagi Park in Kuki City are later to bloom than the lavender by city hall. They normally bloom from around mid June. Apart from lavender there is nothing else on “Lavender Hill” the south end of the park. So out of season there is nothing to do or see. Even the North of the park isn’t particularly exciting. But it does have a nice, but small, playground which is no doubt popular with locals.
You might also like: Ranzan’s Lavender fields – formerly Japan’s largest lavender festival.
Lavender sites information
| Kuki City Hall Shobu Branch | |
|---|---|
| Address: | Shobucho Niibori, Kuki, Saitama 346-0105 |
| Phone: | 0480-85-1111 |
| Season: | Generally from the middle to the end of June, but in 2021 the lavender started to bloom at the end of May. |
| Hours: | 24 hours, but car parks close overnight |
| Cost: | Free |
| Online: | Official lavender updates |
Access the Shobu office of Kuki City Hall
There is a large car park and a small car park to the west of the city hall Shobu branch office that are right by the lavender fields. They have the same entrance. The smaller car park is the official parking for the lavender. By public transport you can get a bus from either Okegawa Station on the JR Takasaki Line or from Kuki Station on the JR Utsunomiya Line.
| Shirasagi Park | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 〒346-0106 Saitama, Kuki, Shobucho Shobu, １０ |
| Phone: | |
| Season: | Generally mid to late June. However, in 2021 the lavender started to bloom around the 3rd of June. They were early in 2020 too. |
| Hours: | 24 hours |
| Cost: | Free |
| Online: | There is no official website for the park. Lavender updates on the Kuki City website. |
Access Shirasugi Park
There is only a very small car park. The parking spots aren’t clearly marked out, but it would fit about ten cars neatly parked.
Nearby
A sample of nearby attractions, not just in Kuki but in neighboring cities too. You can use the Kuki / Gyoda tag to see both tourist attractions and seasonal events in the Kuki area.
- Hydrangea in the Kisai Area, which is in Kazo city but commutable by car
- Iris season at Ukiya No Sato – no Tafune Boat Ride or Festival
- Pedal boats and tandem bikes at Kuki Shobu Park | KUKI
- Soyu Himitsu No Mori, “Secret Forest” at Mallage | KUKI
- Tamashiki Shrine and Park which is in Kazo but is commutable by car