With mirrors, art installations, and a Peter Rabbit garden, this festival is the perfect day trip from Tokyo.
There are always times when you might look at a photo of Japan and think, “Surely it can’t be that beautiful,” but this is definitely one of those times that proves just how stunning the country can be. While many are traveling around the nation chasing the fleeting cherry blossom season, there is a vibrant pink carpet rolled out at the base of Mt. Fuji that lasts a lot longer than the transience of the sakura trees.
Starting April 11 and lasting until May 24, the Fuji Shibazakura Festival is celebrated at Fuji Motosuko Resort, and gives you a front row seat to all of the splendor that Japanese springtime has to offer. Entrance to the resort is 1,000 yen (US$6.26), although it increases to 1,300 yen between April 25 and May 10. If you purchase an advance ticket online, you can get a 100-yen discount.
▼ Entry to pets is allowed on a lead unless between April 25 and May 10, when a cage, cart, or sling is required.
Despite shibazakura (“芝桜”) having the character for sakura (“桜”) in the name, the two plants have very little relation to each other. While cherry blossoms flutter around above your head, moss phlox hugs the earth, creating a bright tapestry of pinks, purples, and whites.
At Fuji Motosuko Resort, a gorgeous 500,000-flower masterpiece of natural beauty is framed by the equally impressive snow-capped peak of Mt. Fuji.
The resort has introduced several art installations to make you a part of the scene, bringing back several past favorites, including the Door to Happiness and Mt. Fuji Object. The Sparkling Flower Drop Mirror captures the shimmer of the morning dew, and allows you to catch your reflection amidst the petals and the mountain.
Like with any good festival in Japan, the experience is not just what you see, but also what you eat, and the snacks here are as enjoyable as the flowers.
There are Sakura Churros, shaped like the Japanese character for “cherry blossom,” and offer a subtle sweetness.
There are also the local classics, with stalls serving Fujinomiya Yakisoba and Yoshida Udon, as well as the Fried Bread Soft Serve that contrasts the warm, crispy bread with the rich and cold ice cream.
If you want something ridiculously cute, try the Colorful Sweets, a vibrantly-colored selection of donuts and croissants, or the Fujiyama Honey Castella, which are baby castellas made with plenty of honey and in the shape of the famous mountain.
Perhaps to some he’s a rather unexpected guest to scenery seeming to overflow with Japanese-ness, but a charming part of the resort is the Peter Rabbit English Garden, where you can stroll through a high-end British-style garden juxtaposed with a view of Japan’s most sacred peak.
If you think you have experienced all that Fuji Motosuko Resort has to offer after a spring visit, you’ll want to check out what it looks like in the fall, with 15 varieties of colorful flowers, such as zinnias, spreading out across the landscape.
The Fuji Excursion limited express train from Shinjuku Station can get you to the area in under two hours, from which you can take a bus to the venue, or you can hop on a reservation-only direct bus from major train stations like Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shibuya, Omiya, and Shin-Yokohama.
If you’re traveling around Japan this spring, you’ll find that the beauty of the season is not only found in the cascading pink blossoms above your head, but stretching forth from around your feet, washing the landscape with breathtaking colors.
Event information
Fuji Motosuko Resort / 富士本栖湖リゾート
Address: Yamanashi-ken, Minamitsuru-gun, Fujikawaguchiko, Motosu 212
山梨県南都留郡富士河口湖町本栖212
Open: 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (extends to 6:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. between April 29 and May 6)
Website
Related: Online Ticket Purchase, Fuji Excursion limited express train, bus tours (1, 2)
Source and images: PR Times (1, 2)
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