(Live Japan)
Bright yellow sunflower fields are a source of joy during the hot Japanese summer! Here we will share five spots in the Kanto region to see this beautiful and iconic summer flower.
The best time to visit sunflower fields near Tokyo is from late July to August. The spectacular sight of a field of yellow sunflowers against a bright blue sky will leave you exhilarated! You can find them in Tokyo’s residential areas and in farms and parks located in Tokyo’s suburbs. Why not enjoy summer by visiting some sunflower fields?
*Flower bloom times differ every year.
1. Zama Sunflower Festival: A Garden Where 550,000 Beautiful and Picturesque Sunflowers Bloom
(We recommend stopping by the Zama area where approximately 440,000 sunflowers bloom.)
The official flower of Zama City in Kanagawa Prefecture is the sunflower. Every year in mid-August, the city holds the Zama Sunflower Festival. It takes an hour and a half by train or bus from Shinjuku Station to get to this event.
The festival is split into two areas: the Zama sunflower field and the Yotsuya sunflower field. In total, this amounts to over 5.5 hectares of land filled with approximately 550,000 sunflowers.
People from all over visit this venue to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Also, you can take an even closer look by walking on the path that leads you through the waist-high sea of sunflowers!
(In 1994, it was selected as one of the 100 Best Flower Spots in Kanagawa.)
Every year, observation decks are placed around different parts of the facility. This allows you to take in a sweeping view of the entire sunflower field. Also, a sunflower picture-taking contest is held around the same time, providing you with the opportunity to get gorgeous shots of these flowers.
During the duration of the festival, you can enjoy purchasing fresh-cut flowers, farm products, and other specialties. In addition, there are many other fun events, such as catching sweetfish with your bare hands.
(The walkway and the observation deck offer different but enjoyable atmospheres.)
Best time to view: mid-August
Scale/Number of flowers: Around 550,000 sunflowers
*Around 440,000 at the Zama sunflower field and around 110,000 at the Yotsuya sunflower field.
Zama City Sunflower Festival
Event Period: August 10th - 13th
Hours: 9:30 AM–5 PM
Event Locations: Zama Area and Yotsuya Area in Zama City
Admission: Free
Closed: Open daily during the event period.
*The event may be canceled or the details may be subject to change depending on the situation. Please check the official website for the latest information.
Zama City Tourist Information Association
Zama Sunflower Festival (Zama Area) 座間ひまわり畑（座間エリア）
Address: Shindenjuku, Zama-shi, Kanagawa 252-0026
Nearest Station: Access: Take a temporary direct bus (fare required) to the Zama Sunflower Festival from Soubudai-Mae Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line.
TEL: 046-205-6515 (Zama City Tourist Information Association)
Zama Sunflower Festival (Yotsuya Area) 座間ひまわり畑（四ツ谷エリア）
Address: Yotsuya, Zama-shi, Kanagawa 252-0025
Nearest Station: Access: Get off at either Sobudai-Mae Station or Zama Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line. Take a bus going to Yotsuya for five to ten minutes, and get off at Zama Jinja Mae Bus Stop. The festival is a ten-minute walk from this stop.
TEL: 046-205-6515 (Zama City Tourist Information Association)
2. Akeno Sunflower Festival: A Glorious Sea of One Million Sunflowers
(The main variety of sunflower found in this field is the double-blooming Tohoku yae sunflower.)
The Akeno Sunflower Festival is held annually from late August until early September in the Akeno district of Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Double-petaled sunflowers known as the Tohoku yae sunflower cover a field of around four hectares. Here you can enjoy the view of over a million beautiful yellow flowers.
(Akeno Sunflower Field)
The dark yellow field of sunflowers, the greens and purples of Mount Tsukuba, and the clear sky of early autumn make it the perfect scenic spot! Besides the Tohoku yae sunflower, there’s a mini sunflower garden where you enjoy a few different varieties of mini sunflowers.
During the festival, there are various attractions such as the “Cut Flower Experience” (5 flowers for 300 yen, additional 100 yen for wrapping, details for 2024 to be determined) where visitors can take home sunflowers. Additionally, the festival features music stages, gourmet booths, sunflower candle nights, sunflower markets, and more, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
(Sunflowers basking in the light of the sunrise along with a magnificent view of the beautiful Mount Tsukuba.)
Best time to view: Late-August to early-September
Scale/Number of flowers: Tohoku yae sunflowers and mini sunflowers, a total of around one million
Akeno Sunflower Festival
Event Period: August 24th - September 1st
Hours: 9 AM–4 PM
Venue: Akeno Himawari no Sato (near Miyayama Furusato Fureai Park)
Admission: Free
Closed: Open daily during the event period.
*Please note that the event may be canceled or the details may change depending on the circumstances. For the latest information, please check the official website.
Akeno Sunflower Festival’s Official Website (On Chikusei City Tourism Association’s website)
Akeno Sunflower Field 明野ひまわりの里
Address: 504, Miyayama, Chikusei-shi, Ibaraki 300-4504
Nearest Station: Access:
Train Route 1: Take the train to Shimodate Station on the JR Mito Line. From there, take the Chikuseishi Koiki Renkei Bus bound for Tsukuba-san-guchi for 30 minutes. Get off at Akeno Shisho Mae Bus Stop and walk for 20 minutes.
Train Route 2: Take a twenty-minute taxi ride from Kurogo Station on the Kanto Railway Joso Line.
By car: Take the Joban Expressway on the Tsuchiura-Kita Interchange for 40 minutes, and the Yawara Interchange for 50 minutes. You can also take the Kita-Kanto Expressway on the Sakuragawa-Chikusei Interchange, or the Ken-O Expressway on the Joso Interchange for 30 minutes.
3. Yokosuka Soleil Hill: An Exhilarating and Glorious Collaboration Between Sunflowers, the Sky, and the Sea!
(If you’re lucky, you can see Mount Fuji past the sunflowers just over Sagami Bay.)
Yokosuka Soleil Hill is located in Kanagawa Prefecture’s Yokosuka City. From Tokyo, it takes about two hours by train and bus. From French, Soleil translates into the word sun, a perfect name for a park filled with sunflowers!
You can find a 5,000-meter-long garden at the entrance of the park. What’s more, at the 1,000-meter-long sunflower garden, you can find some 100,000 of them in full bloom. On a sunny day, the blueness of the sky and sea act as a beautiful contrast against the bright yellow sunflowers, making for a photogenic and scenic spot.
(Yokosuka Soleil Hill)
You can also find a sunflower-inspired menu at the facility’s restaurants and fast-food shops. You can also purchase sunflowers sold at workshops, take part in a stamp rally, and enjoy the photo spot set up in the field for a limited time only.
In addition, Soleil Hill is a nature-oriented park where you can interact with animals. It offers experiences such as Animal Village (admission fee: 700 yen, 4 to middle school students: 350 yen), paid attractions, a splash pool where children can enjoy water play, and on weekends and holidays, there are also summer vegetable harvesting experiences (paid).
With all of these activities, there’s no doubt that you’ll have a fun-packed day!
(Enjoy scenery reminiscent to sunflower fields abroad.)
Best time to view: Late July to mid-August
Scale/Number of flowers: Approximately 100,000
Yokosuka Soleil Hill’s Official Website
Yokosuka Soleil Hill 長井海の手公園 ソレイユの丘
Address: 4 Chome, Nagai, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 238-0316
Nearest Station:
Access: From Misakiguchi Station on the Keikyu Railway, take the bus bound for Soleil-No-Oka and get off at the final stop (takes approximately 15 minutes.).
By car: Approximately ten minutes from the Hayashi Exit on Miura Jukan Road
Phone Number: 046-857-2500
Period: 9 AM–6 PM (March to November), 9:30 AM–5 PM (December to February)
TEL: 046-857-2500
Closed: Open daily
Admission: Free (Paid attractions can be found in the park)
4. Narita Dream Dairy Farm: Snap the Perfect Shot With Fields of Two Varieties of Sunflowers
(During the blooming period, over 900,000 sunflowers can be found throughout five facilities.)
Just two hours away from Tokyo Station, the Narita Dream Dairy Farm holds a ‘Sunflower Festival’ each year.
The festival is split into two sections, a ‘Tall Sunflower Garden’ with high-reaching hybrid sunflowers that have a strong impact, and a ‘Short Sunflower Garden,’ with smaller, cute sunfinity sunflowers. Any photos taken here are sure to be a hit on social media!
If you want to take a nice photo of your children or pets, we recommend stopping by the mini sunflower garden where sunfinity sunflowers bloom.
(A photo contest of who can post the best sunflower maze photo to Instagram is being held.)
(Narita Dream Dairy Farm’s 2020 winner titled this photo: Himastagram)
Additionally, there are many activities that you can enjoy as a family! This includes a photo contest, as well as a ‘Sunflower Post Service’ run by a goat!
Also, you can find limited-time sunflower dishes such as sunflower pizza and sunflower curry at the restaurant. For those who enter the sunflower maze, you get a discount coupon for the farm’s soft serve, carefully made with fresh milk.
As it is a farm where you can enjoy interacting with cute animals such as goats, sheep, and ponies, there are unique events only found on a farm, such as the Milk Ice Making Workshop (700 yen) and Butter Making Workshop (700 yen). Additionally, you can have a day full of fun with activities like archery (500 yen) and fishing (500 yen). You can create unforgettable summer memories that will make your day feel too short.
At Narita Dream Farm, there is an English-language map (guidebook), and some of the signs and precautions are written in English. The official website is also available in English and Chinese.
(You can enjoy taking some photos with stylish goats at the sunflower field.)
Usual Best Time: Late-July to late-August
Scale/Number of flowers: Hybrid sunflowers and sunfinity sunflowers: a total of over 900,000
Sunflower Festival - Smiling Sunflower Project
Event Period: Typically from late July to late August
Event Locations: Tall Sunflower Field, Short Sunflower Field, 2nd Yume Farm Estate, and more
Farm Admission Fee: Junior high school students and above: 1,600 yen, 3 years old and above: 800 yen, Seniors (65 years old and above): 1,400 yen.
*Tall Sunflower Field (350 yen)
Closed: July 17th
Narita Dream Farm’s Official Website
Narita Dream Farm 成田ゆめ牧場
Address: 730-3, Nagi, Narita-shi, Chiba 289-0111
Nearest Station
Access: A ten-minute free shuttle bus ride from Namegawa Station on JR’s Narita Line.
By car: Take the Ken-O Expressway on the Shimofusa Interchange for two minutes.
Phone Number: 0476-96-1001
Hours: Weekdays (9:30 AM–4:30 PM), Weekends and Holidays (9:30 AM–5 PM) (*Last admissions are an hour before closing)
Closed: Open daily
Prepare to be moved by the beautiful scenic sight of these golden sunflowers! A field of sunflowers against the background of a blue sky is something you have to experience at least once.
It’s best to come to see them within a week after they bloom, so before making your way to the venues, please check online for when the peak period is.
*All the prices shown in the article include tax.
*The best time to see the sunflowers may change depending on the weather conditions.
*This article was originally published in June 2021, with information updated in June 2024.
Via Live Japan
