The most famous blooming in Japan is obviously the cherry blossom, follow by the momiji, the autumn colors that from mid-October begin to set fire to the views of the coldest areas of Japan and then arrive in Tokyo in mid-November. The “first red” of Japanese autumn, however, occurs at the end of September, with the flowering of red spider lily, or kinchakuda, also known to be the flowers of Tokyo Ghoul.
One of the best places to see this bloom near Tokyo is Kinchakuda Manjushage Park in Saitama Prefecture. A beautiful park on the banks of the Koma River, which fills up with a multitude of red flowers between mid-September and early October.
Visit the Kinchakuda Manjushiage Park
The red spider lily is actually a flower associated with death, because if cooked they are extremely toxic, and it is easy to find them planted in cemeteries.
The intense red of thousands of flowers transforms Saitama from a simple country park into an incandescent expanse, offering truly suggestive photographic glimpses, especially at the peak of flowering, when the glance is truly impressive.
Generally in the central days of flowering, there is also a festival, with street food and fresh beer and an entrance fee of 300yen is required.
If like me, however, you visit the park at the beginning or at the end of flowering, or not on festival days, bring food and drinks from home, or buy them at the convenience store which is located just ahead of the park because there are no other refreshment points, but you will not be asked for any entrance fee.
The park is not very big, you can easily turn it around in half an hour, however, considering the beauty of this red tide, you will spend at least a couple of hours here! Finding itself on the bank of the Koma River, it also becomes the ideal place to enjoy a picnic in nature, with the placid river on one side and the spider lilies on the other providing a splendid setting.
Actually, Kinchakuda Park is also famous for other blooms and colors during the year: in spring for the pink of the cherry trees and the yellow of the rapeseed and in winter for the soft colors between white and blue of the Japanese apricot plants and the buds of the spiderlily.
How to get to Kinchakuda Manjushiage Park
Kinchakuda Manjusgiage Park is located just over an hour from Tokyo, in Hidaka, Saitama prefecture.
It is in the countryside and once you leave the small station you will find yourself immersed in a completely different side of Japan
A short walk of about fifteen minutes through a country lane will take you from the station to the park entrance, but take it easy and maybe buy some fresh vegetables, produced by local farmers, who display it on the stalls scattered along the street, with relative price indicated.
From Tokyo go to Ikebukuro station and from there take the Seibu Ikebukuro Line (you can easily take the express) to Hanno, the last stop.
From here continue on the Seibu Cichibu Line for two stops to Koma station. The cost of the one-way ticket from Ikebukuro to Koma is 530 yen.
From Koma station to the park entrance, the walk is about 10 minutes and is quite well signposted.
