There are many flower viewing spots in Japan that I would recommend, such as wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park, lavenders in Furano, Hokkaido, the combination of cherry blossoms, Fuji, and pagoda at Arakurayama Sengen Park, and the Fuji Shibazakura Festival. Here, I will introduce the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, which is held every year from mid-April to the end of May (in 2024, April 13 to May 26). Shibazakura (moss phlox) is a small pink flower that looks cute like a carpet of flowers when it blooms all over the place. The Fuji Shibazakura Festival is a very popular festival where you can enjoy the beautiful combination of Mt. Fuji and shibazakura blooming on the vast grounds. Now, let me recommend the best time to see and places to stay!
TOC
Fuji Shibazakura Festival
This is a very beautiful and photogenic flower festival, with approximately 500,000 shibazakura fully blooming in the vast grounds at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Shibazakura planted here have eight varieties with different petal sizes and colors (white, pink and purple). In addition to them, you can also enjoy spring flowers such as anemones and azaleas.
Best time to visit
The best time for viewing varies slightly depending on the climate every year, but in my experience, you can see the shibazakura with full bloom if you go between May 1st and 10th.
I will introduce the entrance fee and parking fee. Later, I will introduce a bus tour to the Shibazakura Festival that includes a bus and tickets.
The entrance fee changes depending on the date.
April 13 to 26 and May 13 to 26
Adult: 1,000 yen
Child: 500 yen
April 27 to May 12
Adult: 1,300 yen
Child: 700 yen
The entrance fee for adults changes depending on the day. The highest is during Japan’s vacation season from April 27 to May 6. This is because of the holiday, but it seems that the entrance fee is also increasing at the time when the shibazakura is at its peak.
Photo Spots
Every year, an observation deck is set up where you can view shibazakura and Mt. Fuji. The observation deck is just about 13 feet high, but if you take a photo from it, you can get a very beautiful photo of the flowers and Mt. Fuji. However, since this observatory is a popular spot, you may have to wait more than 30 minutes depending on the day to get up to the observatory. If you want to go up to the observation deck, I recommend going up right after entering the park.
There are also many other photo spots where you can enjoy taking commemorative photos.
Meals and Souvenirs
There will be food trucks at the festival site, where you can enjoy specialties such as Fujinomiya Yakisoba and light meals. There is also souvenir shops, and the popular Kikyo Shingen mochi, which comes in original Shibazakura Festival packaging.
The stay at the Shibazakura Festival is short, about one hour, but there are also day-trip bus tours that stop at other spots with spectacular views of Mt. Fuji. Suitable for people who want to experience a variety of things in one day.
A bus tour from Shinjuku, Tokyo, with an English speaking guide. Destinations vary depending on the departure date, but include strawberry picking, Fuji Shibazakura Fes (mid-April to the end of May), lunch, and Mt. Fuji panoramic ropeway.
The festival is held at Fuji Motosuko Resort in Yamanashi Prefecture. If you visit from Tokyo by public transportation, the following routes are possible.
Direct bus from Shinjuku to Shibazakura Festival venue (about 2 hours 25 minutes)
From Shinjuku Station to Kawaguchiko Station, a JR limited express Fuji Kaiyu or Fujikyuko, and then a bus to the Shibazakura Festival venue (1 hour 50 minutes by train, 40 minutes by bus)
An express bus from Tokyo Station, Shibuya Station, Akihabara Station, etc. to Kawaguchiko Station, and then the same bus as #2 (about 2 and a half hours)
My recommendation is the #3 express bus route. It takes about the same time as the train, but the fare is cheap, so it’s very convenient. There isn’t much traffic in the early morning hours, so I always arrived on time when I took it.
Recommended Hotel
I recommend an overnight trip that combines the Shibazakura Festival with a hot spring trip. This is because it is easy to access from Tokyo and there are very good hot spring inns and hotels around Kawaguchiko Lake. Also, if you stay at a hotel with a view of Mt. Fuji, enjoy hot springs and meals, and then visit the Shibazakura Festival the next morning, you can avoid the traffic jams around it, so you can have a stress-free experience. In addition to the Shibazakura Festival, Kawaguchiko Lake has many other attractions, such as the Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum (I love their automatic musical instruments) and the Fuji Panoramic Ropeway.
La Vista Fuji Kawaguchiko
The hotel I recommend is La Vista Fuji Kawaguchiko. It is characterized by its stylish interior design reminiscent of southern France and the view of Mt. Fuji from all guest rooms. You can bathe while looking at Mt. Fuji in the morning sun from the balcony. In addition, while the rooms come with baths, there are also private hot springs, private bedrock souna, and large public baths, so you can enjoy the hot springs as much as you like during your stay. The meal is an eight-course Western-style meal featuring local ingredients.
Yumedono Ryokan is a luxury hotel. The main building is traditional Japanese architecture modeled after Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto, and is a hotel where you can enjoy a lavish stay. All rooms have an open-air hot spring bath. Dinner is a Japanese course meal. Not only is it delicious, but it also looks so beautiful. It will be an absolutely special memory!
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