The Higashimatsuyama Summer Festival is scheduled for 2023, for the first time in four years. Unfortunately, they have decided not to go ahead with the annual fireworks though. This summer festival is held annually on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of July. In 2023, that is Saturday the 22nd andRead More →
Information for the 2023 Azalea Festival at Monomiyama Park (aka Monomi Hill) in Higashimatsuyama. Monomiyama Park is located near to Saitama Children’s Zoo and is home to the Peace Museum of Saitama. The tower you can see peaking out above the azalea in the featured photo is that of theRead More →
A little known Yokohama Hizakura (aka Yokohama Scarlet Cherry Blossom) spot in Higashimatsuyama City, Saitama Prefecture. Yokohama Hizakura / Scarlet Cherry Blossoms Yokohama Hizakura are a type of bright pink cherry blossom tree often called Yokohama Scarlet (or Red) Cherry Blossom in English. They are named for the city ofRead More →
Kaminuma and Shimonuma are two parks around marshes in urban Higashimatsuyama. They are a ten minute walk apart, but they are often grouped together as if one park. Kaminuma Park is larger and the main of the two. Neither are particularly exciting parks, but both are pretty in spring whenRead More →
The “Land of Dreams, Season 2”, is the sixth annual Higashimatsuyama illumination display. It is not particularly big, but it is particularly photogenic, as it is made up of several photo spots. Furthermore, it is not just in one location, but a total of four parks around Higashimatsuyama. This postRead More →
The Batou Kannon Ema market is an only in Japan festival. Actually, there are only a few places in Japan that have an ema festival or market, so this festival is quite unique even in Saitama Prefecture too. Ema are the wooden prayer plaques or votive tablets you see atRead More →
The Capybara Onsen, aka hot spring, is one of the (thee?) most popular annual events at the Saitama Children’s Zoo. Indeed the love of the Capybara Onsen in general is a phenomenon hard to explain – you just have to go and see for yourself. I guarantee you, even theRead More →
For the fourth year in a row, the Higashimatsuyama Fireworks have been cancelled on account of the pandemic. There will be no firework displays in Higashimatsuyama city in 2023. Official notification Higashimatsuyama Fireworks 2020 The 2020 Higashimatsuyama fireworks have been cancelled due to the Coronavirus Outbreak. The 2020 Higashimatsuyama summerRead More →
Iwadono Kannon is the most common name used for Shoboji temple in Higashimatsuyama. However, on Google maps its called Shōbōji and that is the name that has stuck with me. The legendary gingko tree at Shoboji is one of my personal favorite posts on this blog! But there is moreRead More →
Information for the winter and spring peonies, peony festival and other seasonal flowers at Botanen, Higashimatsuyama. Botanen Park in Higashimatsuyama is the largest peony garden in all of Japan. However, more than just a peony garden, it is also a small park with several things to offer. In recent years,Read More →