TusharInJapan.blogspot.com: shibazakura Matsuri An ephemeral festival

Japan is known for its breathtaking landscapes. the natural beauty,Fuji, serene gardens, castles, shrines, picturesque countryside, or vibrant autumn foliage , cherry blosson. On the track of the scenic beauty, our self-drive trip at the Mt.Fuji are was the absolute highlight. We took direct Hikari train from Kyoto to Odawara. After four days of rain and fogs, making Mt.Fuji in visible, just on our day of arriving and next days to our great good luck, the Mt. Fuji area opened yoo with sun and clear skies.

We rented the car at the Hakone Ropeway & Owakudani: Arrive and Cusiat Hakone and park your vehicle. Visit the Hakone Ropeway station and take the cable car up to Owakudani. Enjoye the breathtaking views of the volcanic valley, steam vents, and sulfur springs. We drove to Kiwaguchico lake, checked in to hotel La Vista. The place had beautiful views of majestic Mt Fuji, Public and private onsens(Hot springs) and Japanese cusines for the breakfast and dinner.

Next day visited the ShibaZakura Festival. This ephemeral event takes place only a few weeks a day a year, in the middle of spring, when the famous Japanese small flowers, the shibazakura (or Phlox subulata), are in bloom. From about mid-April to the end of May, they hatch, tinting the meadows they occupy with pink, violet and white. We went on M ay 17tth when the Golden weekend was over and so did encounter bg crowds.

ShibaZakura Matsuri

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In 2023, the festival is held from April 15 to May 28

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The Fuji Shibazakura Festival Fuji Shibazakura Matsuri) is one of the best and most popular occasions nationwide to see shibazakura (pink moss or phlox moss in English). The venue of the festival, called Fuji Motosuko Resort, is located about three kilometers south of Lake Motosuko in the Fuji Five Lakes area, offering breathtaking views of vast fields of shibazakura, with Mount Fuji in the backdrop on clear days.

The festival is held typically from mid April to late May. The best time to see the flowers varies from year to year but usually falls into the first three weeks of May. Approximately 800,000 stalks of shibazakura of five varieties are on display, producing delightful fields of pink, white and purple colors in different hues. Festival stalls selling pots of pink moss, shibazakura-themed souvenirs, food and local produce complete the experience.

As the venue of the Fuji Shibazakura Festival can get quite crowded due to its popularity, it is advisable to avoid visiting on weekends or over the Golden Week holidays. Visiting early in the mornings is generally good to avoid congestion and for good visibility, although lighting for photos tends to be better in the afternoon..

The entire area of MT. Fuji national park is awesome. The Fuji Five Lakes (Lakes Yamanaka, Kawaguchi, Saiko, Shoji and Motosu) is the most popular tourist route in exploring the area around Mt. Fuji. Each lake gives a different perspective, some have panoramic viewing decks, others with ropeways, but my personal favorite was Lake Kawaguchi (more on that later). Self-driving is the ideal way to see and manage high costs of private transport . The car rental allow you to travel along the Fuji Five Lake route, though you lose flexibility. Do need off line maps as one looses signal for GPS in muntain loops.

We also visited the Otodome Falls and the Shiraito Falls, ranked among the most beautiful waterfalls in Japan, the 150 meter wide cascade is fed by the volcano's spring water and flows off the edge of a 20 meter high cliff in thin white streams that resemble hanging threads of silk - hence its name.

Rest of the pictures at the Kwaguchico Lake