Red Spider Lily Festival

After two years of pruning the heads off the Spider Lilies so they didn’t flower, the powers that be in Kinchakuda are finally allowing the plants to flower and the crowds to once again gather.

If red is your favorite color, then mark this event on your calendar. As you’ll probably know from cherry blossoms in the spring and momiji (maple leaves) in the fall, the Japanese go 110% on seasonal plant life celebrations. The Red Spider Lily or Manjushage (曼珠沙華), already a pretty little plant on its own, makes for an instagram-winning blanket of color in the Kinchakuda fields in Hidaka, Saitama.

It’s ¥500 to enter. Keep an eye out for one of the leaflets at stations on the Seibu Line, as they should include some coupons for local cafés like Alishan Café. Keep in mind that these dates can only be a guide, as the weather can affect the length of flowering — so aim for central dates if possible.