🏮 Koromogae Suigo Sawara Ayame Sai
衣替え水郷佐原あやめ祭
Sawara, Chiba (Suigo Sawara Ayame Park) · Every year on 1 June
260 days to go
Rooms around Sawara, Chiba fill up while the festival is on.
The Suigo Sawara Ayame Festival is held at Suigo Sawara Ayame Park in Katori, Chiba Prefecture. It is a early-summer tradition where about 1.5 million iris flowers of around 400 varieties bloom. The festival runs from late May to mid-June, and visitors can enjoy a wide range of irises, including Edo, Ise, and Higo strains. The origin of the festival is unclear, but it has long been known as a famous iris spot making use of the rich waterside environment of Suigo-Tsukuba Quasi-National Park. A highlight is the flower-viewing ride on a sappa boat operated by a female boatman. The boatman, wearing a kasuri kimono, a red apron, and a woven hat, adds to the atmosphere. During the period, the first 100 visitors each day receive an iris seedling, and there are also events such as a bridal boat ride in wedding attire and trial boat rides.
Getting there
By car: about 30 minutes from Sawara-Katori IC or Daiei IC on the Higashi-Kanto Expressway, or about 25 minutes from Kanzaki IC on the Ken-o Expressway. By train: about 25 minutes by shuttle bus (fare required) from Sawara Station on the JR Narita Line, operating during the festival period.
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