Kinchakuda Manjushage

The beginning of fall 🍁 in Japan is marked by the blooming of higanbana (彼岸花), a flower that goes by several names, such as:

• Spider lily;
• Lycoris radiata in Latin; or,
• Manjushage in Japanese, a reference to its Chinese origins (曼珠沙华).

Introduced in the Japanese archipelago in its triploid form, the spider lily is a perennial plant with a long and thin stem that mostly grows near streams of water and along rice fields. Spider lilies patches can therefore be seen in the countryside, or in large Japanese gardens such as Koishikawa Korakuen or Kyu Shiba-rikyu in Tokyo.

Located in Saitama prefecture, about 1h by train 🚅 from Ikebukuro, the park Kinchakuda Manjushage is home to the largest higanbana field in Japan, with 5 million spider lilies blooming in a wonderful scarlet lawn at the foot of the trees. This ephemeral scenery takes place during the Autumnal Equinox, that is to say around September 22-23. Over the previous years, and depending on how much heat remains after the Japanese summer, the blooming has been delayed by a couple of days. In 2024, the blooming peak was observed around October 1rst.

The equinox flower field is divided into 2 parts, allowing a progressive blooming. Thus, one side of the park is the 1rst to bloom, then the 2nd part follows a few days later, depending on the weather conditions. The park’s official website displays blooming forecast in real time to make the most enjoyable visit at the ideal time.

A well-marked trail is winding among the flowers under the shade of the trees, and lined with enough benches to rest and admire the place. The 22-hectares park is nestled in a meander of the Koma-gawa river which nearly makes a 360° turn at this point. This particularly cozy shape of the parks reminds of a purse, which is mirrored in its name "Kinchakuda" that derives from the Japanese word kinchaku (巾着). Kinchaku is a traditional purse, that is made of a soft cloth and tied with a string, usually worn by women when donning a kimono 👘.

Popular higanbana spot in Japan

During the peak of higanbana season, the park collects an admission fee and a small local festival is held. Farmers of the region sell their products at stalls that are sometimes self-service and unmanned (無人販売). Visitors can enjoy the local tea sayama-cha and seasonal roasted chestnuts.

We recommend going on a weekday as soon as the opening of the park and before 10 a.m., to enjoy the quietness of the place. Later in the day or on the week-end, you may face a high number of visitors flowing from tourist bus. The park is very famous in Japan, and even emperor Akihito and his spouse visited it in September 2017.

Strolling Kinchakuda Manjushage and the banks of the Koma River is pleasant all year round, as other typical flowering are staged in all seasons, like cosmos, or sakura 🌸 in early spring.

The surroundings also offer nice discoveries in Saitama’s Japanese countryside, such as the climbing of Mount Hiwada. At the top of the mountain, the torii ⛩️ gate of Hiwadayama Kotohira shrine opens on a panoramic view on the Chichibu Mountain range and sometimes on Mount Fuji 🗻. There is also Koma-jinja, a shrine with links to the city’s history and its long-lived ties with the Korean peninsula. On a side note, you’ll also find nearby the Moominvalley Park based on Tove and Lars Jansson’s novel series for children.