Kinchakuda – a park where 5 million red spider lilies are in full bloom, a breathtaking scenery in Saitama prefecture

“Kinchakuda” which is a famous park where you can enjoy a breathtaking scenery, more than 5 million red spider lilies in Saitama prefecture.

This is the park where our previous emperor and empress privately visited in 2017.

Saitama prefecture is in the north of Tokyo. You can get there for ca. 1 hour by train from Ikebukuro station of Tokyo.

Red spider lilies in the park are in full bloom on Oct. 2, 2019 and will last ca. 1 week. It is called “Kinchakuda Manjushage matsuri”
“Manjushage” is the name of the flower, red spider lilies in Japanese and “matsuri” means a festival for the high season of the park.

Please enjoy the video (only 12 seconds) in my Instagram here.

The way from “Koma” station to “Kinchakuda” park is along “Koma” river. Walking to “Kinchakuda” while looking at the stream and the green trees and listening to the sound of the river flowing is also enjoyable.

Place

“Kinchakuda” park

Post code 350-1251

Hongo 125-2, Hidaka-shi, Saitama prefecture, Japan

Transportation

It takes ca. 1 hour to get “Koma” station from “Ikebukuro” station by train of “Seibu-Ikebukuro” line.

1 Ikebukurro station → 2 Honno station 3 → Koma station (Total ca. 1 hour)

1. Ikebukuro station to Hanno station by “ Seibu -Ikebukuro line”
   Pls. be sure to choose an “express” (“Kyuko” in Japanese) train instead of a local one.
2. Change a train at Hanno station (The platform is the other side of the platform where the train arrives at)
3. Hanno station to Koma station (a local train)

For your info. Train lines to Ikebukuro station

As Ikebukuro station is a big station there are a lot of lines you can get there.

• JR Shonan Shinjuku Line
• JR Saikyo Line
• JR Yamanote Line
• Tobu Tojo Line
• Seibu Ikebukuro Line
• Tokyo metro Marunouchi Line
• Tokyo metro Fukutoshin Line

▼Ikebukuro station of “Seibu -Ikebukuro Line”. Please follow the sign.

▼ Now, you are at the entrance of “Seibu Ikebukuro Line”.

▼A platform bound for Hanno station at Ikebukuro station of “Seibu Ikebukuro Line”.

▼Change train at Hanno station of “Seibu Ikebukuro Line”.

▼When you change a train, a train going to Koma station is waiting in the other side of the platform at Honno station.

▼This train is bount for Seibu-Chichibu.

▼Your destimation: you have arrived at Koma station! The sign shows the name of the station in alphabet, Kanji, and Hiragana.

▼You are at the platform of Koma station. You can see mountains.

▼Flags showing red spiders lilies are hung to the ceiling of the platform in Koma station.

▼Go down stairs following the flag and go out of a ticket check gate.

From Koma station to “Kinchakuda” on foot

It takes ca. 15 minutes from Koma station to the entrance of “Kinchakuda” park on foot.

▼I would recommend you to get a free brochure including a map in English which is distributed in a tent in front of “Koma” station.

▼You can get a brochure about “Kinchakuda” park in English, Chinese, or Korean for free, which includes a route to the park and a map inside of the park.

▼The brochure includes a map of Kinchakuda park. You can see Koma station and a route to the park in the left side of the map.

▼The map includes other info. such as the high season of the red spider lilies in the past years.

If you get the brochure, let’s go to Kinchakuda!

▼The route starts from a gate with flags, on the right hand of the station. Please turn to the right after you get out of the space in front of Koma station.

Until now, I explained that there are 3 places when you go out of “Koma” station…..

• On the left hand – a restroom
• In front – a tent where a brochure is provided
• On the right hand – the route to Kinchakuda

▼ Signs for Kinchakuda are here and there. After going straight, you will find a sign in Japanese with red spider lilies picture.

▼Across the street at a crossing with a traffic signal. The name of the crossing is “Koma eki iriguchi”.

Walk in a narrow path.

▼You will see a big street where you need to cross. There is a crosswalk without any traffic signals. The administration of the park assign 2 staffs to help visitors to cross the street only in the high season of red spider lilies. Please follow their instruction.

You can follow signs in the photo below. (I am afraid that they are written in Japanese)

▼You will find a stone monument and a sign where explanation the reason why it was established.

▼It is harvesting chestnuts season in Oct.

Business hours of “Kinchakuda” park

8:00 – 17:00

Entrance fee

Entrance fee is charged in only high season (to be announced by the administration office of the park. )

300 JPY / adult person (Children and students until junior high school are free)
Please pay it by cash at the entrance of the park.

▼The entrance of the park where you need to pay the entrance fee. You can get a brochure here, as well as at the tent in front of Koma station.

Stroller / wheelchair

Strollers and wheelchairs are possible to enter the park.

Restrooms

At “Koma” station

A restroom is available at “Koma” station.
After you go out of a ticket gate, a restroom is on your left side.

At “Kinchakuda” park

Restrooms are available in “Kinchakuda” park.
There are 3 restrooms which look like log houses. They are shown in the brochure which you get in front of “Koma” station or at the entrance of the park.

There might be a queue for women’s restrooms. Therefore, please estimate the queuing time.

Meals

There are 3 options. which are restaurants, food shops in tents outside, or bringing your own lunch.

• Restaurant
• Food shops in tents outside
• Bringing your own lunch.

Restaurant

There are only 2 restaurants between Koma station and Kinchakuda as the area is a quiet local place except the season when Manjushage in full bloom. I would recommend you to go there early as there must be a que especially at lunch time.

• Shohei Udon: “Shohei Udon” serves Japanese noodle made by flour.
• Alishan Cafe: Alishan cafe is a vegetarian restaurant which has not only tables inside but also terrace tables.

Food shops in tents outside

There are food shops where they serve curry, beer, and some snacks, etc. in the park. They are available only in high season.

Bringing your lunch box and a drink by yourself.

You can have lunch with sitting in the shores of Koma river, however, please be sure that doing barbecue is not allowed there in the high season and bring your garbage back by yourself.

Estimated travel time to Kinchakuda: 2 hours

I would estimate visiting time there to be ca. 2 hours including walking between “Koma” station and “Kinchakuda”. 

As it takes 20 min. from “Koma” station going to the place where 5mil. Flowers in “Kinchakuda” park is located and another 20 mins. going back to the station.   Therefore, I would recommend you to estimate 2 hours for visiting there.

When is the best season for visiting “Kinchakuda”?

Manjushage, which is red spider lilies are in full bloom generally from the middle of Sept. to the beginning of October.
I visited there on Oct. 2nd in 2019 and it was in full bloom! I would recommend you to search Instagram by #Kinchakuda so that you can see the condition of the park at the moment.

TRIVIA

What does the park’s name, “Kinchakuda” come from?

The name “Kinchakuda” consists of “Kinchaku” and “da”.
Kinchaku is a small bag made of cloth with a string. “Kinchaku” is used when Japanese wear a casual kimono.
Here is a photo of a “Kinchaku”.

And then, please compare the “Kinchaku”, a small bag to a map of “Kinchakuda” below.

As you recognize, their forms are similar each other.

On the other hand, “da” is a changed pronunciation from “ta”, which means a rice field. The park was originally a rice field surrounded by a river.

That’s why the park named “Kinchakuda”.

Kinchakuda park’s HP (only Japanese version is available) is here.