The Fields At The Base Of Mt. Fuji Have Turned A Bright Pink But Its Not Cherry Blossoms

As Japan now rolls into the months of spring, the entire country is awash in pink. The nation’s love for the soft, pillowy cherry blossom trees knows no limits. You’ll find sakura-themed Starbucks coffees, Kit Kats, beauty accessories, and even beer. But around Mt. Fuji, locals are going crazy for a different pink flower, one so vibrant it makes the famous cherry trees look pale in comparison.

Slowly creeping over the open fields and rolling hills that surround the base of Mt. Fuji you’ll find one of Japan’s most specular flower shows. Known as shiba-sakura, these flowers are a type of low-lying moss phlox that come into full bloom during April and May.

Contrasting with the clear blue surrounding skyline, green mountain ranges and the pure white snowcapped peak, this field of around 800,000 bright pink flowering plants looks incredible in photos, but truly have to be seen in real life to fully be appreciated.

In celebration of spring the blooming of the shiba-sakura, the Fuji Motosuko Resort will hold their 2018 Moss Phlox Shibazakura Festival between Saturday, April 14 to Sunday, May 27. The resort is open for access between 8am until 5pm daily, when you can stroll through the resort’s swirling fields of five different variations of the moss, each representing a different hue of pink. Admission is 600 yen (US$5.65) for adults and 250 yen (US$2.35) for children.

The best time to get there depends on the season, but typically the flowers are at their best during the first week or so of May. Also, to avoid the crowds, plan to avoid visiting during the weekend or over the Golden Week national holiday period.

The park is located in the Fuji Five Lakes area, a few kilometers south of Lake Motosuko, making it a great place to plan a day trip if you have a little extra time up your sleeve.

To get there via public transport, you’ll have to catch a bus. From Tokyo Station, head to Kawaguchiko Station on the JR Chuo Line; from there you can hop aboard the Shibazakura Liner shuttle bus, which connects the station to the venue site. If you get this bus, you can grab a 2,000 yen (US$18) ticket that gets you admission to the resort and a return trip to and from the station.

Alternatively, there is a local bus that travels between Fujisan Station, Kawaguchiko Station, Lake Motosuko, and Shin-Fuji Station and stop near the venue. If travelling by car, there’s paid onsite parking available. For more information, visit the website.

Fuji Motosuko Resort 212 Motosu, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru Yamanashi, Japan, +81 5 5589 3031

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.