Gongendo Park

Gongendo Park, located in Saitama Prefecture near the border with Ibaraki, is a prefectural park centered around the Gongendo Reservoir. The park covers a total area of 35 hectares and consists of four distinct zones, each with unique characteristics. The park's origins date back to 1920, when nearly 3,000 cherry blossom trees were first planted in the area, establishing it as Saitama Prefecture's premier cherry blossom viewing destination.

The park's most famous attraction is the Satte Gongendo Sakura Tsutsumi, featuring approximately 1,000 Yoshino cherry trees that form a spectacular cherry blossom tunnel stretching over 1 kilometer in length. During spring, the pale pink cherry blossoms create a striking contrast with yellow rapeseed flowers blooming below the embankment. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival, held from late March to early April, attracts around 1 million visitors and features approximately 100 food stalls offering Japanese street food. The picturesque scenery has made the location popular as a filming site for movies.

Gongendo Park offers seasonal floral displays throughout the year, with hydrangeas blooming from June to July, red spider lilies in September to October, and daffodils from January to February. The park showcases nearly 10,000 hydrangea flowers from around 100 different species during the summer months. In September, the embankment transforms with 3 million red cluster amaryllis blooms, while winter brings half a million daffodils. The park also features a small shop called Tougenochaya where visitors can purchase refreshments and local products.

From Tokyo Station, take the JR Ueno Tokyo Line to Kita-Senju Station (approximately 20 minutes), then transfer to the Tobu Skytree Line to Satte Station (approximately 45 minutes), followed by an Asahi Bus to the Gongendo stop (approximately 10 minutes). By car, the park is located about ten minutes from the Satte Interchange on the Ken-O Expressway. Admission to the park is free, though parking is available for approximately 400 spaces and is free except during the cherry blossom festival period when charges apply.