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June is a perfect time to get out of the house and spend some time outdoors. If you’re the sort who hates cold weather, it’s finally warm enough to spend the afternoon outside with no need of a jacket, and if you can’t stand the heat, you’ve only got a few weeks left until the onset of the steamy rainy season and sizzling midsummer weather patterns.
And to sweeten the deal, right now there’s a perfect spot for your sojourn with nature, this breathtaking field of over 15 million flowers in Saitama Prefecture known as the Heavenly Poppies.
Saitama gets a bad rap as Tokyo’s tragically unhip neighbor to the north, but for those open-minded enough to look past the stigma, there’re some cool places to be found in the prefecture. The Chichibu district, for example, has mountains, hiking trails, and shrines that are all worth checking out.
If you’re heading to Chichibu between mid-May and early June, the first stop on your day trip from Tokyo should be Chichibu Kogen Bokujo (Chichibu Highlands Farm). Like many of the agricultural tourism sites that dot Japan’s rural landscape, visitors to the park can observe animals such as sheep and rabbits and enjoy the lush, verdant landscape.
Difficult as it may be to tear your eyes away from the adorable critters, you’ll want to make the effort when the poppies are in bloom. As part of a bid to boost tourism to the area, a five-hectare (12.4-acre) field was planted with Shirley poppies. If that sounds like a massive plot of land for a flower bed, it is, but don’t think that means there are large patches of empty space between one flower and the next.
Covering the hillside are more than 15 million poppies, and while you’ll find a couple of white and pink blossoms mixed in, their almost uniform crimson color makes for a dramatically breathtaking view.
Especially for visitors from one of Japan’s urban centers, where you’re as likely to see skyscrapers and power line in equal proportion to actual sky when you look up, Chichibu Kogen Bokujo’s mountain location provides a beautiful contrast between the red flowers below and the blue and white of the skies and clouds above.
Of course, if you can drag yourself out of bed at an early enough hour, sunrise is also an excellent time to scope out the Heavenly Poppies.
The closest train stop is Minano Station on the Chichibu Main Line, a two-hour ride from Tokyo Station. While the poppies are in bloom, there’s a free weekend shuttle bus from the station to the park entrance, with the trip taking either 25 or 35 minutes depending on whether it’s a direct route or makes other stops along the way.
Timetables can be found here, listing the first bus at 9:05 a.m., and the last at 3:35 p.m. Admission to Chichibu Kogen Bokujo’s poppy field is 200 yen.
Source: Naver Matome
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Places you simply must visit: Toyama Prefecture -- The top 5 places to see the sun set in Japan -- We spend an afternoon in the park with the King of the Monsters at Kurihama’s Godzilla Slide
© Japan Today
11 Comments
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Kuribo1
That would truly be a sight to see.
FightingViking
I guess my "ex" was wrong ! Driving through France, we saw a lot of poppies in the countryside and he said "you won't find any of those in Japan"... When I questioned why ? he just answered "opium"...
That's a beautiful picture !
Evan Hayden
Gorgeous. Saitama's a bit of a hike from me, but maybe if I'm still in Japan next year I can check it out.
Wc626
I'll say. And what can more "unhip" to come out to look at a bunch of poppies? No folks. Travel somewhere else. There is absolutely nothing in Saitama.
Novenachama
Of all the old-fashioned flowers that welcome the summer season, poppies are the most brilliant. Cultivated since ancient times for their beautiful blossoms, edible seeds or as medicine, poppies appear in mythology, poetry, and paintings, symbolizing everything from fertility and decadence to blood and memory.
Thunderbird2
Saitama may be 'unhip' but that's a breathtaking vista... and because of what they symbolise to those of us in the UK and Europe a field of poppies is also rather sad. That could easily be a field in Flanders.
As for nothing in Saitama - the railway museum there is a fantastic place to visit.
zones2surf
@Wc626:
I think you are trying to make the point that there are better places to spend one's time. That may or may not be true.
However, to say there is nothing to see in Saitama does a disservice to Saitama, because there are quite a few things worth a day trip for Kanto residents.
A day trip to Kawagoe is always worthwhile. It may not be Kyoto, Kanazawa or Hida Takayama or anything like that, but still an easy, worthwhile day trip.
Going to Nagatoro in the Chichibu area was something I first enjoyed back in my high school days. A boat ride down the gorge, particularly at the right time of year. Sure, there may be better gorges in Japan, but how many can be reached on a day trip from Tokyo.
There is also the SL (Steam Locomotive) Paleo Express that runs from Chichibu to Kumagaya in the warm months. Again, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I would propose that it is something everyone should do at least once. And why not do it somewhere where it is easily accessible.
Equally, the Chichibu area has numerous day hikes for those so inclined. Sure, they can be replicated if you go to Okutama or down into Kanazawa, but, still, some good day trip activities.
And there is the food of Saitama. Again, it may not be Kyoto or some other culinary destination, but as we go into summer, a good hiyajiru udon from Saitama is quite tasty. Just as an example.
My point is that every prefecture in Japan has something to offer. And, in Saitama's case, it should not be overlooked, particularly when it is so readily accessible for those living in the Kanto area.
Wc626
@surfingzones. The author of this article has stated that Saitama is the bad rap. Tokyo's tragic, unhip neighbor.
And I, having lived in Saitama/Tokyo/Kanagawa, just want to reiterate the same tone. And with all the negative remarks about Saitama (on various issues over the yrs) in these JT posts, maybe it's fair to say- overlook Saitama.
C'mon really. Saitama is boring. People will be shocked in 2020 when they come out to some of these venues for the summer games. I'm just saying-
cleo
Maybe it's only in the northern Kanto area, but this year there has been an explosion of little orange poppies growing wild on every little bit of open ground. I never noticed them before, but this year they were literally everywhere. Very pretty.
Aly Rustom
WC, that is a stupid thing to say! Here you go!
http://www.sainokuni-kanko.jp/eng/
everything you need from sightseeing spots, onsen, to food culture.
For those of you who don't know, Saitama is next best place after Shikoku for Udon. Everything you need to know is on the site above. You'd be surprised.
zones2surf
@Wc626:
Yeah, the author of the article started by referencing Saitama's reputation, but then transitioned to say that it is unfair and that people should look beyond it. Your comments definitely seemed to be recommending that people skip Saitama altogether, which you reiterated in your reply to my comment. As in it is boring.
Saitama is what you make of it. Just as Chiba is what you make of it. Or Kanagawa. And it does matter whether you LIVE there or VISIT there. Do I recommend that visitors go hang out in Urawa, Omiya or Kumagaya? No. Well, maybe the train museum and there are people that would love that. But, what I was saying is there is plenty to do in Saitama, but maybe just not in the places that people think of when they think of Saitama.
Finally, notice I wasn't suggesting living in Saitama. That is another question altogether. But then again, I have friends that live near Tokorozawa and are perfectly happy there. Decent access to downtown Tokyo for weekdays, easy access to the mountains.
In the end, though, I think it is a matter of different courses for different horses, if you know what I mean.