Mocha Pinku
- Sep 3, 2023
- 3 min read

Zama Sunflower Festival

Updated: Sep 25, 2023

In Zama, Kanagawa

View from the platform at the Zama sunflower fields

The Zama Sunflower Fields, located about an hour away from Tokyo, feature over 550,000 sunflowers that bloom from late-July throughout August. Each year these fields burst into vibrant life, creating a mesmerizing sea of golden sunflowers! The city holds an annual Sunflower Festival in August, usually around Obon, where visitors can purchase local food and produce from various pop-up booths. The tradition of planting sunflowers started in 1993 and the fields currently span over 5.5 hectares.

My experience

We visited the fields during the Zama Sunflower Festival weekend (August 12, 2023) and the sunflowers were very much in bloom. I definitely recommend visiting in early to mid August to see them at their peak! The festival runs from 9:30 - 17:00; however, the fields are actually open to the public both before and after. Only the stalls close at 17:00. If you're planning on taking photos, I would recommend going in the morning as the sun is quite strong in the afternoon and the flowers all face the east. If you go in the afternoon (like we did), the sun will end up being in back of the flowers. For reference, our pictures were all taken around 16:00 - 17:00 in the afternoon.

There are a little less than a dozen large sunflower patches as well as two platforms set up during the festival where you can climb up to take pictures from. We had to wait maybe about 5 - 10 minutes to go up the platform, but it was definitely worth the sight! We spent maybe about an hour or so in total walking around the fields. The sunflowers were absolutely beautiful and I think it's probably one of the best places to view sunflowers that's accessible from Tokyo. I would recommend bringing a sun umbrella or a hat and to wear comfortable shoes! There's very little coverage/shade provided in the area and August the hottest month in Japan, so it's important to stay hydrated and avoid heat stroke.

I think the most difficult part about visiting the fields is probably the transportation. The closest station is Iriya station, which is a very very tiny unmanned station, about a 20 minute walk away from the fields. We walked to Iriya station on our way home, but decided to take a taxi from Ebina station going to the fields to cut down our commute time and to avoid too much sun exposure. The taxi was around a 10 - 15 minute ride and costed about 1,200 JPY, which was worth it for us. There is also a smaller field called Yotsuya a couple blocks away, so don't get the two mixed up!

During the festival, there is a temporary bus that runs from Sobudaimae station and temporary visitor parking set up near the river available for a small fee. It seems the temporary parking lot can get quite packed depending on when you visit though. If you visit during non-festival days, you will probably need to park on the road or find alternative parking and walk. It's good to also note that public toilets are only available during the festival!

Overall I really enjoyed our visit! The fields are surrounded by dozens of rice fields and the surrounding area is very peaceful. If you're near Tokyo during the summer, it's a great opportunity to experience the vibrant charm of Zama-shi and its sunflower fields!