March 6, 2018, TOKYO /PRNewswire/ -- The 11th Shiba-sakura Festival will take place from April 14 (Saturday) to May 27 (Sunday) in the 2.4 hectare fields of Fuji Motosuko Resort at the foot of Mt. Fuji with around 800,000 flowering plants in bloom. The festival will be hosted by Fuji Kyuko Co., Ltd.
These flowering fields with snow-capped Mount Fuji towering in the background have become a popular symbol of springtime and were named by CNN as one of "Japan's 34 most beautiful places". Festival attractions include a Mount Fuji mound carpeted in pink and white shiba-sakura blossoms and the Pink Sea, a vast field of vividly pink McDaniel's Cushion blossoms (a variety of shiba-sakura).
Shiba-sakura are ground-hugging moss phlox that overflow with flowers around the same time that sakura cherry trees bloom. Festival revelers can feast their eyes on wide-ranging blossoms from cherry trees, eight varieties of shiba-sakura and nine other species of flowering plants.
Female visitors from abroad can further increase their enjoyment by wearing rental kimono between April 28 and May 6.
When it becomes time to rest, visitors can soothe their tired feet in the healing waters of Panorama Footbath and fill their empty tummies with local foods, Japanese sweets and other photo-worthy dishes at the Mt. Fuji Delicious Foods Festival concurrently held at the same venue. Souvenirs will be available, including many shaped like Mt. Fuji or colored in shiba-sakura pink.
The Mt. Fuji Busking Festival will also be taking place on the premises with talented street performers providing hours of entertainment on certain days.
Express buses will run directly to the venue from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal in Tokyo during the festival. Don't miss this chance to experience unforgettable beauty during your Songkran holiday in Japan!
For more information, please visit the 2018 Fuji Shiba-sakura Festival homepage.
About Fuji Kyuko
Fuji Kyuko Co., Ltd. - organizer of the 2018 Fuji Shiba-sakura Festival - is a passenger transport company headquartered in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, that operates the Fujikyuko railway line, regional and long-distance bus routes and an amusement park near Mt. Fuji.
About Shiba-sakura (Phlox subulata)
Shiba-sakura, also known as shibazakura, is a species of moss phlox creeper plant native to North America with small 1.5 cm diameter flowers that bloom red, pink, white or purple from April to May. Japanese call it shiba-sakura (lawn cherry) because its flowers resemble cherry blossoms covering the ground. Eight varieties of shiba-sakura, including the recently added Little Dot, will be blooming for viewing pleasure at the 2018 Fuji Shiba-sakura Festival.
Entrance fees
| Individuals |
Groups (15 or more people) |
|
| Adults (middle school or older) |
600 yen |
500 yen |
| Children (age 3 or older) |
250 yen |
200 yen |
Notes: Entrance may be free depending on blooming conditions. No pets are allowed.
