The official flower of Zama City in Kanagawa Prefecture is the sunflower. Every year in mid-August, the city holds the Zama Sunflower Festival. It takes an hour and a half by train or bus from Shinjuku Station to get to this event.

The festival is split into two areas: the Zama sunflower field and the Yotsuya sunflower field. In total, this amounts to over 5.5 hectares of land filled with approximately 550,000 sunflowers.

People from all over visit this venue to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Also, you can take an even closer look by walking on the path that leads you through the waist-high sea of sunflowers!

Every year, observation decks are placed around different parts of the facility. This allows you to take in a sweeping view of the entire sunflower field. Also, a sunflower picture-taking contest is held around the same time, providing you with the opportunity to get gorgeous shots of these flowers.

During the duration of the festival, you can usually enjoy purchasing fresh-cut flowers, farm products, and other specialties. In addition, there are many other fun events, such as catching sweetfish with your bare hands.

Best time to view: mid-August

Scale/Number of flowers: Around 550,000 sunflowers

Zama City Sunflower Festival
・Event Period: August 9th - 11th
・Hours: 9:30 AM–5 PM
・Event Locations: Zama Area and Yotsuya Area in Zama City
・Admission: Free
・Closed: Open daily during the event period.
*The event may be canceled or the details may be subject to change depending on the situation. Please check the official website for the latest information.

The Akeno Sunflower Festival is held annually from late August until early September in the Akeno district of Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Double-petaled sunflowers known as the Yae sunflower cover a field of around four hectares. Here you can enjoy the view of over a million beautiful yellow flowers.

The dark yellow field of sunflowers, the greens and purples of Mount Tsukuba, and the clear sky of early autumn make it the perfect scenic spot!

During the festival, there are various attractions such as the "Cut Flower Experience" where visitors can take home sunflowers. Additionally, the festival features music stages, restaurant booths and more, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

Best time to view: Late-August to early-September

Scale/Number of flowers: Yae sunflowers, a total of around one million

Akeno Sunflower Festival
・Event Period: August 30 and 31
・Hours: TBA as of June, 2025
・Location: Kuramochi area, Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture (southeast of the Akeno School Lunch Center)
・Admission: Free
・Closed: Open daily during the event period.
*Please note that the event may be canceled or the details may change depending on the circumstances. For the latest information, please check the official website.

Yokosuka Soleil Hill is located in Kanagawa Prefecture’s Yokosuka City. From Tokyo, it takes about two hours by train and bus. From French, Soleil translates into the word sun, a perfect name for a park filled with sunflowers!

At the entrance of the park you can find some 100,000 of beautiful sunflowers in full bloom. On a sunny day, the blueness of the sky and sea act as a beautiful contrast against the bright yellow sunflowers, making for a photogenic and scenic spot.

You can usually also find a sunflower-inspired menu at the facility’s restaurants and fast-food shops. You can also purchase sunflowers, take part in a stamp rally, and enjoy the photo spot set up in the field for a limited time only.

In addition, Soleil Hill is a nature-oriented park where you can interact with animals. It offers experiences such as Animal Village (admission fee: 800 yen, 3 to middle school students: 400 yen), paid attractions, a splash pool where children can enjoy water play, and on weekends and holidays, there are sometimes also summer vegetable harvesting experiences (paid).

With all of these activities, there’s no doubt that you’ll have a fun-packed day!

Best time to view: Late July to mid-August

Scale/Number of flowers: Approximately 100,000

Just two hours away from Tokyo Station, the Narita Dream Dairy Farm holds a 'Sunflower Festival' each year (also scheduled for 2025).

The festival is split into two sections, a 'Tall Sunflower Garden' with high-reaching hybrid sunflowers that have a strong impact, and a 'Short Sunflower Garden,' with smaller, cute sunfinity sunflowers. Any photos taken here are sure to be a hit on social media!

If you want to take a nice photo of your children or pets, we recommend stopping by the mini sunflower garden where sunfinity sunflowers bloom.

Additionally, there are many activities that you can enjoy as a family! This includes a photo contest, as well as a 'Sunflower Post Service' run by a goat!

Also, you can find limited-time sunflower dishes such as sunflower pizza and sunflower curry at the restaurant. (Details for 2025 have not yet been decided.) For those who enter the sunflower maze, you get a discount coupon for the farm’s soft serve, carefully made with fresh milk.

As it is a farm where you can enjoy interacting with cute animals such as goats, sheep, and ponies, there are unique events only found on a farm, such as the Milk Ice Making Workshop (1,000 yen) and Butter Making Workshop (700 yen). Additionally, you can have a day full of fun with activities like archery (500 yen) and fishing (500 yen). You can create unforgettable summer memories that will make your day feel too short.

At Narita Dream Farm, there is an English-language map (guidebook), and some of the signs and precautions are written in English. The official website is also available in English and Chinese.

Usual Best Time late-July to late-August

Scale/Number of flowers: Hybrid sunflowers and sunfinity sunflowers: a total of over 1,000,000

Sunflower Festival - Smiling Sunflower Project
・Event Period: Typically from late July to late August
・Event Locations: Tall Sunflower Field, Short Sunflower Field, 2nd Yume Farm Estate, and more
・Farm Admission Fee: Junior high school students and above: 1,600 yen, 4 years old and above: 800 yen, Seniors (65 years old and above): 1,200 yen.
*Tall Sunflower Field (2025 details TBA)
Closed: August 27

During the rainy season, there will be many cloudy and rainy days, with sunny days expected to continue from the second half of July onward.

The weather will change every few days. In the latter half of June, similar to average years, there will be many rainy and cloudy days. Temperatures are expected to be higher than usual, while precipitation will be about average. Even before the rainy season ends, both temperature and humidity will be high, so please be careful of heatstroke. The rainy season typically starts around June 7, and last year it began around June 21.

In the first half of July, as usual, there will be many cloudy and rainy days. After the rainy season ends, the latter half is expected to have many sunny days, similar to average years. Last year, the rainy season ended around July 18, and normally it ends around July 19.

Sunny days will continue. Humidity will be high, and many days will be hot and muggy. There will be days when the heatstroke alert level is classified as “severe warning” or “danger.”

Prepare to be moved by the beautiful scenic sight of these golden sunflowers! A field of sunflowers against the background of a blue sky is something you have to experience at least once.

It’s best to come to see them within a week after they bloom, so before making your way to the venues, please check online for when the peak period is.

*All the prices shown in the article include tax.
*The best time to see the sunflowers may change depending on the weather conditions.
*This article was originally published in June 2021, with information updated in June 2025.

Text by: Click