This photo was taken on September 19, 2017 (the season started a few days early this year). Higanbana generally burst into bloom right after the first big rain of mid-September.
These Japanese amaryllis bloom once a year for only a few days, right at the fall equinox. If you move fast, you can still catch the higanbana in their full glory right now! Here’s where:
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KINCHAKUDAnear Koma Station
This magical forest of red spider lilies isn’t a quick jaunt from a stop on the Yamanote Line – you’ll have to journey a little over an hour by train to Koma Station – but it’ll be worth it, don’t you think?
Paths meandering through fields of lovely knee-high amaryllis just go on and on and on. The first time I came here, I couldn’t believe how big this place is! More than five million bulbs are planted at Kinchakuda.
The fields wend their way alongside a river lined with trees, which makes the whole experience a blessedly shady one. And even though I was there on a peak tourist day, it didn’t seem at all crowded.
The reason these gorgeous lilies aren’t quite so widely celebrated as, say, cherry blossoms, is that they have a reputation for being a bit creepy. Higanbana are most often found growing near graveyards – the bulbs are really toxic, so they were planted to keep mice and rats out. So although “higanbana” means “equinox flower,” they’re also known by the ur-Goth name of “Corpse Lily.”
Which is why – cheerily red though they are – giving a bouquet of these beauties is a bit of a death threat (or at least not the best choice for a “get well” gift!)
But that’s the last thing you’ll feel strolling through the foresty wonderland. Trust me, this schlep is well worth it, and although there is a short window when the entire place is blooming like this, ones near the entrance bloom just slightly later than the ones farther away, so even if you don’t hit it in the perfect sweet spot, there’s plenty of red goodness for about ten days around peak bloom
Kinchakuda is a little over an hour by train from Shinjuku Station, then a fifteen minute walk from Koma Station. It’s easy to know the fastest route, because there will be a steady stream of eager flower viewers heading that direction.
Open for higanbana viewing: September 16 – October 1
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!
5 thoughts on “Where To See Magical Red Autumn Lilies In Tokyo”
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You know, it’s so funny, but I thought of you and your blog while I was there! The carpet of red flowers was so flawless, it reminded me of the single-color theme posts you do.
That is such a lovely comment! How amazing! Please stay tuned to what’s being published on my blog. I’m doing an intro to something new later today. And then tomorrow morning NZ time I’m publishing a guest post that’s a real treat!
Love these amazing flowers.
D❣️🍵
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You should come see them sometime! They really are astounding, and I know you would appreciate them to the nth degree!
WOW! So sad I can’t get there all the way from New Zealand but very glad you shared the photos so I can at least enjoy those! They are sublime!
You know, it’s so funny, but I thought of you and your blog while I was there! The carpet of red flowers was so flawless, it reminded me of the single-color theme posts you do.
That is such a lovely comment! How amazing! Please stay tuned to what’s being published on my blog. I’m doing an intro to something new later today. And then tomorrow morning NZ time I’m publishing a guest post that’s a real treat!