Moss pink blossoms at Hitsujiyama Park

Moss pink, or Shibazakura, is a flower that grows close to the ground in brilliant colors of magenta, pink, and white. The season for moss pink, which is from late April to mid-May, comes after the more well-known cherry and peach blossom season in Japan. A popular way to enjoy moss pink is to go to a pink moss festival or park and see the various designs made by arranging the moss pink by colour. One of the best places to enjoy the blooming of moss pink is at Hitsujiyama Park close to the city of Chichibu, in Saitama Prefecture.

About 400,000 Shibazakura plants of eight varieties bloom from April to May on the slope of the Hitsujiyama Hill at the foot of Chichibu’s symbolic Mt. Buko, creating an elegant carpet of pink, purple and white. Winding paths lead you across the surreal pink and purple hillside overlooking the city. The backside of the Daisetsuzan Mountain Range offers its pointy snow-covered peaks as a backdrop and tulips adorn the the wide gently-sloped paths on your journey across the hill. Aside from Shibazakura, approximately 1,000 cherry trees, including yoshino cherry, weeping cherry, and double-petal cherry trees, planted in the park, blossom out in April.