Hitsujiyama Park

Hitsujiyama Park is located in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, approximately 90 kilometers northwest of Tokyo. The park sits on a hillside overlooking the city and has been a public space since 1916, when the local government established it as a recreational area for residents and visitors. The site takes its name from its gentle slopes, which resemble the rounded backs of sheep, with "hitsujiyama" translating to "sheep mountain" in Japanese.

The park's primary attraction is its extensive shibazakura display, featuring approximately 400,000 moss phlox plants covering an area of around 17,600 square meters. These ground-hugging flowers bloom in shades of pink, white, purple, and magenta from mid-April through early May, creating a vibrant carpet across the hillside. The display was first planted in 2000 and has since become one of the Kanto region's most photographed spring landscapes. Beyond the shibazakura season, the park maintains a small petting zoo with actual sheep, a nod to its name, and offers views of the surrounding Chichibu mountains.

Visitors can walk designated paths through the flower fields during peak season, with the best views available from elevated observation points within the park. The adjacent Chichibu Muse Park provides additional walking trails and recreational facilities. Local food vendors operate during the shibazakura festival period, offering Chichibu specialties and seasonal refreshments. Photography is unrestricted, and the site attracts both casual tourists and serious photographers seeking landscape shots.

The park is accessible via the Seibu Chichibu Line, with Seibu-Chichibu Station serving as the nearest rail connection from Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station, requiring approximately 80 minutes by limited express train. From the station, the park is a 20-minute walk or a short taxi ride of around 5 minutes. Buses also run from the station to the park entrance during the shibazakura season. Admission to the park is free outside the festival period, while during the spring bloom season a fee of 300 yen is charged.