Sawara Aquatic Flower Festivals

Suigo Sawara Ayame Park in Katori City, Chiba prefecture is an aquatic botanical garden. It is most famous for the 1.5 million irises (ayame in Japanese) of 400 different varieties that bloom from late May through June. Less crowded, probably due to the intense summer heat, are the 300 types of lotus and water lilies that cover the waterways in July and August. During both these stunning flower seasons, there are many events, including the lovely boat rides that gently weave in and around the flowers, ducks and fish, deftly navigated by the boat person dressed in traditional clothing.

A boat ride through lotus blossoms at Suigo Sawara Ayame Park in August. Photo by Estelle Pizer

There is plenty of seating as you take your time meandering along the paths up and over wooden bridges and under wisteria tunnels, the longest wisteria of which is 70 metres (flowering late April - May). The park consists of 8 hectares of waterways which are included in the bigger Suigo Tsukuba Quasi-National Park managed by the local governments of Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures.

You can buy fish food near the boating dock. Photo by Estelle Pizer

The park itself is low-key, given that the area is very rural. There are a couple of shops selling local souvenirs and seasonal plants, although we suggest checking ahead of time to see that they will be open when you plan to visit (website below).

Gliding through water lilies under one of the many arched bridges. Photo by Estelle Pizer

Best time to visit:
Wisteria: May
Iris: late May - June
Lotus and Water lilies: late July – August

Address: 1837-2 Ohgishima, Katori City, Chiba prefecture
Website: https://ayamepark.jp/ (site in Japanese only). Check also for special event days like weddings, crawfishing, local folk music etc. particularly during the iris festival.
Getting there:
From Tokyo Station: take a bus to Sawara Station, about 2 hours.
From Narita Station: take a train to Sawara Station.
From Sawara Station: The Sawara Loop bus operates on weekdays. It takes 35 minutes to reach the park. Alternatively, a taxi should take about 20 minutes.

There is plenty of free parking. It’s very easy to drive from Narita (40 minutes) or Tokyo (90 minutes) to this area and, if you are short on time, driving is probably more efficient.

The park is so big that the gardeners cycle around. Photo by Estelle Pizer

Suigo Sawara Aquatic Botanical Garden

3.5

48 Reviews

Chiba Pref. Katorishi Ougishima 1837-2

0478560411

9:00-16:30[Ayame Festival Pe…

View All

Go here

Less than a ten minute drive from Suigo Sawara Ayame Park is Suigo Itako Ayame Garden in Ibaraki prefecture, which also has over 1 million irises made up of 500 different varieties. The boat rides here glide along the Mae River on the types of boats fisherman would have used in days gone by. One of the highlights of the iris festivals here and at the Suigo Sawara Ayame park are the special days, often on a Wednesday and the weekend, where locals hold real, traditional wedding services on these waterways. Historically the bride-to-be, her matchmaker and her goods and chattels were transported down the river in a boat to her groom’s home to start their new life together. The festivals celebrate these traditions.

Checking the condition of the irises at Suigo Itako Ayame Park in June. Photo by Estelle Pizer

Best time to visit: late May – June
Address: 1-5 Ayame, Itako City, Ibaraki prefecture
Website: https://www.e-tabi.org/ (site is in Japanese)

Getting there:
Narita Station: take the Narita line to Sawara Station (about 45 minutes). From Sawara Station take the Kashima Line train (11 minutes) to Itako Station.
Tokyo Station: take the bus toward Kashima Jingu Shrine or Kashima Central Hotel, and get off at Suigo Itako Bus Terminal (approximately 85 minutes). Take a local bus (12 minutes) to Itako Station.

From Itako Station, the park is a 3-minute walk.

Paid parking areas available.

Suigo Itako Iris Park

Ibaraki Pref. Itakoshi Ayame 1-5

0299631111

[Admission] freedom

View All

Go here

After feasting on the beauty of nature at the two locations mentioned above, we recommend visiting the nearby town of Sawara in Chiba prefecture, for a bite to eat and a walk in their excellently preserved traditional town. Unagi (river eel) is a specialty of the area given the vast, clean water. The town of Sawara has about 92 buildings from the Edo Period (1603 - 1868) that have been preserved and lovingly restored after the area was devastated by the March 3 2011 Tohoku earthquake. There is also a museum dedicated to the first person to make a map of Japan, Ino Tadataka (1745 – 1818), who spent part of his life living in Sawara. You can visit his private home too. Again, in Sawara, you can take a boat ride along the Ono River that runs through the centre of the town.

The boating dock in Sawara. The Tadataka Musuem is opposite. Photo by Estelle Pizer

Sawara has two famous grand festivals, one in summer and one in autumn. You can see some of the actual floats in the Suigo Sawara Float Museum if you miss the festivals.

Best time to visit: anytime. The festivals are in summer and autumn.
Address: Sawara Historical District, Katori City, Chiba prefecture

Getting there:
Sawara 45-minute train from Narita Station
90-minute bus from Tokyo Station
Parking areas available – follow the signs.

Sawara

Chiba Pref

View All

Go here

Hotel Route Inn Katori Sawara Ekimae

Sawarai 92-6, Katori Choshi Chiba

• 
• 
• 
• 
•