Fuji Shibazakura Festival - 富士芝桜
In 2016, the festival will be held from April 16 to May 29
The information on this page is updated in April 2016.
The possibility want that information has been changed, please check the official website of each facility.
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The Fuji Shibazakura Festival (富士芝桜まつり, 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 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 typically held from mid April through early June. 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. |
Shibazakura (scientific name: Phlox subulata) is a perennial of the family Polemoniaceae, and a species of phlox.
From April to May, it blooms in small blossoms of around 1.5 cm diameter, in red, pink, white, or purple. Native to North America, it is also known as “Moss Phlox” Noted for the resemblance of its flowers to cherry blossoms, it is a creeper plant, covering the ground like a lawn, and thus it is called “lawn cherry” (shiba-zakura) in Japanese. This feature makes it a popular choice for edgings or ground cover.
mount Fuji delicious foods festival
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During the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, the Mt. Fuji Delicious Foods Festival will be held in the park’s restaurant and shop area, with stalls featuring delicious treats from different places around the mountain.
The Mt. Fuji Delicious Foods Festival will offer old favorites such as Fujinomiya yakisoba, Fuji-Yoshida udon, and Koshu chicken giblet stew, as well as other local specialties like Fujiyama sweet bean buns, shaped in a celebratory combination of Mt. Fuji and sea bream, and Fujizakura Pork Soup, made using Fujizakura pork from specially-bred pigs from Yamanashi, considered a rare breed. |
Some Menu items
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Yoshida Udon |
Local-style udon noodles often eaten around Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture. Firm, resilient noodles for the win!
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About Yoshida udon is known for 1. its thick, extremely firm noodles, 2. its miso and soy soup, 3, its uniquely tangy seasonings, and 4. being made from horsemeat and cabbage. It has also been selected as one of the Hundred Local Dishes by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. |
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Fujinomiya Yakisoba |
Fried noodles with firm, resilient noodles and meat residue with stock powder that have been eaten in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, for generations
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About Awarded First Place in the first and second B-1 Grand Prix, and Special Prize in the third. One of the most famous local gourmet dishes that everyone knows. One taste and you’ll be hooked on its unique texture and taste. |
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Koshu Fujizakura Pork Soup |
Koshu Fujizakura Pork, a brand-name pig breed in Yamanashi, is used along with generous amounts of locally-grown vegetables to create this healthy pork soup.
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About Pork produced from the Fujizakura Pork breed, developed over many years. Fine-grained, tender, with a good color and a taste unlike any other. |
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Koshu Chicken Giblet Stew |
Chicken giblets are stewed with sugar and soy sauce. A regular feature of Yamanashi tables, ordering “chicken giblets” will get you this.
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About Instead of just stewing chicken giblets, they are given a sweet, tangy flavor and boiled down until the teriyaki-style gloss appears. This dish even won the Gold Grand Prix in the 2010 B-1 Grand Prix! |
Shibazakura ramen
The hotel Chinese restaurant's original limited edition soy-sauce ramen with a thick poultry mince sauce and sakura shrimp.
Original Shibazakura Croquettes
With sakura denbu (mashed and seasoned fish) and salted sakura inside, these cute croquettes feature illustrations of shibazakura. A treat only available during the Fuji Shibazakura Festival.
Malasada
A very popular local confection in Hawaii, these are hand-made using a secret recipe to create deep-fried doughnuts with a uniquely fluffy texture. Freshly-fried ones are sold at the Kitchen Car!
Fujiyama Taiyaki
Sweet bean buns, shaped in an auspicious combination of Mt. Fuji and sea bream. The bean paste is made using 100% azuki beans from Tokachi, Hokkaido. Enjoy the unique texture, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside.
Salted Grilled Rainbow Trout
Rainbow trout from Fujinomiya, raised using lots of spring water from Mt. Fuji. The simplicity of fresh rainbow trout grilled with salt only enhances the rich, mellow scents.
Koshu Fujizakura Pork Buns
Large, juicy pork buns specially created by a hotel using the Yamanashi pork brand, Koshu Fujizakura Pork.
Rice porridge
Choose your favorite toppings like Szechuan pickles and dried plum.Morning only.
Chinese Bellflower Shingen Mochi Soft-Serve Ice Cream
With generous dollops of dark molasses and kinako soybean flour, this soft-serve ice cream is topped with Chinese Bellflower Shingen-mochi rice cakes. Prepare to be seduced by the sublime collaboration of Yamanashi’s famous confectionary and soft ice cream.
Fujiyama Cookies
Charming, cute cookies in the shape of Mt. Fuji, made from Japanese flour, honey from Mt. Fuji, and other selected ingredients, and each one baked carefully in a kitchen on the shores of Lake Kawaguchi.
Sakura Leaf Rice Cakes
(Made with Japanese cherry tree (sakura) leaves, comes with special chopsticks)
With more than 500 sold each day, this is one of the most popular Fuji Shibazakura Festival products, and has even been featured seen on TV! Wrapped in sakura leaf mochi, these delicacies feature a delicate aroma of sakura leaves.
Fuji Shibazakura Bean Buns
Sakura leaves pickled in salt are incorporated into the dough, with bean paste used to create a rich flavor. Made with 100% Izu and Matsuzaki sakura leaves. Enjoy the sublime balance formed from the saltiness of the sakura leaves and the sweetness of the bean paste.
Fuji Shibazakura Kintsuba
Bi-colored kintsuba made by frying a combination of Japanese sakura leaf bean paste and flavorful azuki bean paste. The two types of bean paste create a harmony that sings on your palate.
Official Map
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2016 Shibazakura Festival
Hours: April 16 to May 29, 2016: 8:00 to 17:00 |