Colorful corridor of Japanese fans in Saitama City

The latest display at Aobaen in Saitama City is a colorful corridor of Japanese fans, ‘uchiwa’.

Since around August 2022, Aobaen Cemetery in Saitama City, have a permanent wooden trellis in front of their three tiered pagoda. Each month they create a tunnel of color with something different! They have seven different displays; each stay up for between one and two months. So far there have been wind chimes, prayer plaques, pinwheels, colorful lanterns and teru teru bozu. In September 2023 there are now Japanese fans up – one more display to come, what will it be!?

Japanese fans Corridor Saitama City

I have seen six of the seven displays personally. So I’ve left some photos of the previous displays in this post, below, as they will most likely repeat each year. Such as the pinwheels that were up in spring or the Teru Teru Bozu which were up from June 1st to July 25th in 2022. The wind chimes were replaced by the Japanese fans, as per photo at the top of the post, on September 1st 2023. They will be up until October 27th 2023.

Hanachozu

Another new feature Aobaen introduced in late 2022 are floating flowers in the water font for the Aoba shrine by the pagoda. Make sure you check out the roof, which isn’t visible at eye level for the average adult, you have to hunker down! …

Flowers

One of the best times to visit the hanachozu is April as wisteria, azalea, yaezakura, dogwood, tulips and shibazakura (moss phlox) bloom in the area around the floating flowers. There were sunflowers in the month of August. Please be sure to check the main article about this unique cemetery for even more photos and detailed information about the seasonal flowers.

>>Check out this really cool kakigori (shaved ice) you can get at the restaurant at Aobaen<<

Information

Event: Aobaen Japanese fan Corridor

Date: from the afternoon of September 1st until October 27th 2023.

Time: office hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, but the Japanese fan corridor area is open from 8 am to 4.30 pm.

Cost: free and free parking.

Venue: Aobaen, 5 Chome-1505 Mihashi, Nishi Ward, Saitama, 331-0052. View on Google Maps.

Access

The cemetery is located close to the crossroads for Mihashi Park on national route 17. However, on the opposite side of the road to the park. There are four car parks. Both the South and the West car park both have wisteria in them. You can actually park under wisteria in the West car park! It blooms before the natural monument wisteria and is currently in bloom right now, April 12th 2023.

The nearest station on foot is Nishi Omiya station on the Saikyo / Kawagoe line. Its about a 25 minute walk from the cemetery. Sashiogi station on the same line is about 30 minutes on foot. The O25 bus goes to Aobaen bus stop from JR Omiya station. It takes about 10 minutes on the bus. To walk from JR Omiya Station would take about 40 minutes.

Official website

Editor’s note; originally written about the pinwheels that went up in March and stayed up until April 24th. They were replaced by colorful lanterns, which stayed up until May 31st. Koinobori are also put up in April and stay up until May 12th. 20230412.