Things to Do | Visit Chiba | Latest update:2024/07/04
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Spring TulipsSummer SunflowersSummer FireworksFall CosmosHow to Go and Get AroundExplore More of Sakura CitySakura Furusato Square draws visitors throughout the year with its stunning flower displays, all of which center around a Dutch-style windmill. The rows of tulips, sunflowers, and cosmos make it an idyllic floral photo spot, but the windmill itself, named Liefde, boasts its own unique story. As Japan’s ruling class began forging ties with the western world, the city of Sakura became a center for relations with the Dutch. Today, this legacy–which dates back to the days of the Samurai–still shapes sites around the city. The windmill is perhaps one of the most recognizable symbols of this bond, standing tall at Sakura’s furusato ‘hometown’ square as a symbol of friendly relations between the Netherlands and Japan.
Sakura is located between Tokyo and Narita Airport, making Sakura Furusato Square a great day-trip destination for a day out in nature! Below is our guide to the seasonal sights and sounds found at the Sakura Furusato Square:
Over 700,000 tulips of around 100 different varieties surround the square’s windmill during the Sakura Tulip Festa, making it one of the Tokyo area’s largest tulip displays. The festival usually starts in late-March and continues through late April, with staff on hand from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. During this time, you can pick and take home your own tulips for a small fee. If you’re coming simply to view the tulips, the square is open 24 hours.
2024 Tulip Festa Dates: March 27th through April 21st
As the temperature grows in summer, so do the sunflowers here at Sakura Furusato Square. In fact, around 15,000 sunflowers are planted here by locals, creating a stunning summer scene. The “Windmill Sunflower Garden” usually kicks off in early July, lasting until late July when preparations start for the square’s annual fireworks show.
2024 Windmill Sunflower Garden: July 6th through July 21st
The pastime of enjoying fireworks has a long history here in Japan, and the experience continues to be a beloved summertime ritual in communities throughout the country. Sakura City is no exception, and their annual Sakura Fireworks Festa boasts over 20,000 firework blasts, which is about the same scale as Tokyo’s famous Sumidagawa fireworks!
In order to provide viewers with an up-close view of fireworks shooting off behind the windmill, the city offers special reserved paid seating. More information can be found below in Japanese:
Sakura City Website (Japanese)
The city also opens an area for free viewing near the square, located here:
Free Viewing Area (Google Maps)
2024 Fireworks Display: Saturday August 3rd, 6:50 PM – 8:30 PM
October brings the cosmos bloom here to Chiba, blessing us with one more floral display before the foliage of fall starts to appear. An estimated 500,000 of these colorful blossoms adorn the grounds around the windmill during this time.
2023 Sakura Cosmos Festa: October 7th – 22nd
2024 Dates: TBD
The closest train stations to the Sakura Furusato Square are Keisei Usui Station (about a 30-minute walk) and Keisei Sakura Station (about a 40-minute walk). Both stations are on the Keisei Line, and can be reached from Narita Airport in about 30 minutes, and from Keisei Ueno Station (Tokyo) in about an hour. Rental bicycles are also available here in Sakura, and if you’d like to learn more, please see the paragraph below for more information. For those coming by car, there is a parking lot at Sakura Furusato Square, and during the flower festivals, you’ll also find temporary overflow parking lots in the vicinity of the square.
Rental bicycles are a popular option for those who want to explore both Sakura Furusato Square and the paths around the adjacent Lake Inbanuma. There are five spots here in Sakura where you can rent bicycles, including directly at Sakura Furusato Square and the nearby Keisei Sakura Station.
Price
Regular Bike: 600 yen, plus an additional 300 yen if you’d like to drop off the bike at a different location from which you rented it.
Electric Assist Bike: 1200 yen, plus an additional 600 yen if you’d like to drop off the bike at a different location from which you rented it.
Hiyodori-zaka Slope old samurai road
Sakura City is rich with history, and much of it comes from its warrior past. You can still see the places where samurai lived and trained like at the Old Samurai Houses of Sakura and Hiyodori-zaka Slope old samurai road. Museum fans can also enjoy a visit to the National Museum of Japanese History and the Sakura City Museum of Art.
Learn more here:
Sakura City: A Hidden Gem between Tokyo and Narita | Visit Chiba
2714 Usuita, Sakura City
(A 30-minute walk from Keisei Usui Station, 40-minute walk from Keisei Sakura Station. You can also take the community bus (Uchigo Route, about a 10-minute ride) or taxi from the north exit of Keisei Sakura Station.)
+81-43-486-8898
