Le Jardin Secret is a stunning rose garden at a private residence in Kumagaya City. According to the owner there are approximately 1200 roses and many other flowers in the garden. Each year at the end of spring and start of summer, they have a “rose festival”. During the periodRead More →
A field of Shirley Poppies at a memorial museum in Kumagaya. Kumagaya Poppies I’m on a quest to find as many poppy fields as I can in Saitama Prefecture! It was a nice surprise to find these poppies in Kumagaya today. Reportedly, this is only the second time ever thatRead More →
Information for the 62nd annual Yorii Hojo festival; reenacting a famous samurai battle. The hugely famous Yorii Hojo Festival was actually on in 2022. But, it was a very hush hush affair with nothing publicized online in advance of the festival. On the day of the festival there was aRead More →
Thousands of rapeseed at Heritage Farm in the Oegawa area of Kumagaya. In recent years, Kumagaya City have been executing several different initiatives to revitalize the Oegawa area of the city. The Oegawa 1000 Cherry Blossoms are one such endeavor and we can enjoy the fruits of in March eachRead More →
The wisteria was well early this year. In many places it is already wilting. It must have come as a great disappointment to many who planned a trip to Japan to see the wisteria at the end of April or early May, only to find its no longer in bloom.Read More →
The 20th Annual Fukaya Flower and Open Garden Festa is on this weekend, all things equal. The last time it was on as normal was the 16th annual flower festival in 2019! However, between 2020 and 2022 they did have a festival lite. This year, it is more like aRead More →
You’ve probably seen / heard by now that the wisteria was incredibly early this year. Reportedly, they are already starting to wilt in some places. But never fear, there is still a couple of places you can see wisteria in Saitama Prefecture. Including an ancient wisteria that is one ofRead More →
I’ve taken quite a shine to Honjo City in the last few years. Even though its at least forty kilometers from my house (and about eighty kilometers from Tokyo)! I’ve still a lot to discover, as well as places that I’ve bookmarked to return to in a different season! ButRead More →
Information for the Fukaya Sakura Matsuri and Karasawa River Cherry Blossoms light up in 2023. Karasawa River Cherry Blossoms The Fukaya Sakura Matsuri, Cherry Blossom Festival, celebrates a tunnel of cherry blossoms along the Karasawa River. It is held at and around Takinomiya Shrine, near Fukaya Station. However, there areRead More →
Each year after the Kawazuzakura and before the Somei Yoshino bloom, the striking Jindai Akebono variety showcase their beautiful pale pink petals. For several years, I have visited a secret spot in Kumagaya for Jindai Akebono. When I say “secret”, it wasn’t that I was keeping them secret, but thatRead More →