Fuji Shibazakura Festival
富士芝桜まつり
Mid April 2027 – Late May 2027
Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi
The dates for this event have not been confirmed yet. They are an estimate from the event’s own pattern, and this page is updated as soon as the organiser announces the real ones — check the official site for the latest. Last held 11 April – 24 May 2026.
The Fuji Shibazakura Festival is built on a single composition: hundreds of thousands of shibazakura, the low-growing moss phlox, planted in sweeps of pink, white and magenta across the grounds of Fuji Motosuko Resort, with Mount Fuji rising directly behind them and still wearing its winter snow. On a clear morning the effect is as close to a picture postcard as Japan offers, and it is the reason the festival has grown into one of the biggest flower events in the country.
The festival runs from mid-April to late May, with dates that shift with the bloom, and the fullest colour comes from late April to mid-May. Fuji is the other variable: it is most often visible early in the morning, before the haze of the day builds and before the tour buses arrive, so be at the gates for the 8:00 opening. By late morning on a fine weekend the paths are crowded and the mountain is frequently behind cloud.
The resort is on the southern side of Lake Motosu in the Fuji Five Lakes area, reached by direct bus from Kawaguchiko Station or by seasonal shuttle, and admission is charged. There are food stalls with Fuji-themed snacks, viewing platforms and a small area of other flowers, but the phlox and the mountain are the whole reason to come. Expect cool mornings, strong sun by midday and a display that depends entirely on the weather cooperating.