Top page Fujikawaguchiko in March and April

In March and April, the cold mornings and nights of Fujikawaguchiko Town begin to regress and the hints of spring slowly start to reveal themselves. As the weather warms, spring flowers and grasses begin to bloom and sprout around the countryside. With abundant sunshine, the magnificently snow-capped Mt.Fuji, and the coming of the plum and cherry blossoms, this is a great season to visit.
The traditional Japanese dolls festival “Hina Matsuri,” is a cultural highlight of March. All across Japan, families and shops display beautifully colored dolls for the girls festival.
In Fujikawaguchiko, the traditional thatched-roof folk village of “Iyashi no Sato” in Lake Saiko, holds its annual dolls festival. Displayed are locally, hand made dolls and hanging ornaments,with vibrant colors and beautiful designs. You can enjoy other food and craft specialties related to the festival. What better place to experience the traditional “Hina Matsuri,” where you can feel the spring of ancient times, than at Iyashi no Sato folk village.

The highlight of April is of course the blooming of the cherry blossoms. In Fujikawaguchiko people from all over Japan come to view the cherry blossoms with the snow-capped Mt.Fuji in the backround, a unique symbol of Japan. The cherry trees in Fujikawaguchiko usually bloom around the middle of April.
Around the lake there are many clusters of the well know Yoshino cherry trees to be enjoyed. But at the north side of the lake, near the “enkai hall,” we recommend you visit the Cherry Blossom Festival from April 19th to the 29th. With food and drink stalls, and nightly light-up of the cherry trees, you can stroll along the lake or sit under the trees and celebrate the coming spring. All with a glorious view of Mt.Fuji! *Please see the event section of the webpage for more details.
There are also popular cherry blossom clusters around Nagasaki Park and at Shojiko Lake for those who want a more subtle atmosphere. As a special note of interest, we also recommend you visit the Fuji View Hotel gardens in Katsuyama to take in their famous ancient weeping cherry trees, a rarity of cherry blossom splendor set amongst the natural scenery of the spacious hotel grounds. You can enjoy beautiful views from inside the hotel lounge or restaurant as well. We encourage you to find your favorite cherry blossom place in Fujikawaguchiko!

On another cherry blossom note, Fujikawaguchiko is home to the rare and lovely “fujizakura” cherry tree. The Fujizakura cherry is a small tree of about 3-5 metres in height, which blooms petite pink blossoms, which are a delight to behold. They grow wildly around the Mt.Fuji foothills in Yamanashi and Shizuoka, and can be seen planted in some of the parks and gardens of the town. They usually bloom from the beginning of May and onward, but if you would like to envelope yourself in the delights of Fujizakura, we recommend you go to the Mt.Fuji Sozo no Mori Park , where from April 28th to May 5th, there is the Fujizakura Cherry Blossom Festival.

At the end of April, local shrines around Fujikawaguchiko celebrate the coming of spring with their annual festivals. You can witness the rare “Chigo no mai” shinto dance performed by young girls wearing the traditional shinto garbs set to the ancient music of the Japanese flute, drum and bell. Every year the dance is performed to appease the shrine gods and to pray for the coming of spring. On April 25th, at the main Asama shrine in Kawaguchiko, you can catch the dance at the “Magomi Matsuri.” If you are looking for a unique Japanese experience, this is not to be missed. *Please check the events section of the website for more details. The dance performance in traditional garb and music of the Kawaguchiko Asama shrine, has been dedicated as an intangible cultural asset of Japan, as it has maintained its strict conformance to tradition since ancient times. The performance can also be seen on July 28th, as it opens the summer fireworks festival.
On April 29th, there is also the “Reisai Festival at Fuji Omoro Sengen Shrine.

the Katsuyama “Yabusame” festival

Another cultural highlight of this season is the Katsuyama “Yabusame” festival of horseback archery. Dating back almost a thousand years, the festival commemorates the rebellion of a local daimyo for the areas people. Dressed in traditional warrior garb, riders on horseback perform daring feats of archery at high speed to the crowds delight.
With traditional costumes, taiko drum performances, food and drink stalls, and of course the horseback archery performance, this is a local festival you should not miss!