Enjoy seasonal summer flowers at the Kasama Azalea Festival. The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022.

About Kasama Azalea Festival

The festival originated in 1967 as a local tourism development project. The project aimed to plant an azalea bush for every resident of the city. The first 1,000 azaleas were planted and the park opened to the public that same year. In 1971, the first Kasama Azalea Festival was held in partnership with the government, businesses, and people.

Since then the Kasama Azalea Festival has steadily grown with over 8,000 azalea bushes spread throughout the 7 hectare park. There are some 25 varieties of azalea bushes, the notable of which are Kirishima, Hinode, Kurume, and Yamatsutsuji.

Key points of interest include an observation deck located above the Azalea Café and a small tourist information booth. The view from the top gives a breathtaking birds eye view of the park and nearby city of Kasama.

A view from the bottom of the hill looking back up at the observation deck is equally as beautiful. We also couldn’t help but notice some wild wisteria that was climbing its way up some trees.

At the top of the park is a large open grassy area that is perfect for picnics and relaxing. Several food vendors were available, although we were a bit disappointed with the lack of variety. Throughout the park there were a variety of areas to just rest, relax, and enjoy the flowers.

Throughout the festival time period, numerous events and performances are held. They include music, dancing, and traditional tea ceremony.

Kasama Azalea Festival Event Information

Held from April 15th – May 7th

Location is Kasama Azalea Park

Nearby Points of Interest to Explore: Kasama Roadside Station, Kasama Craft Hills, Kasama Castle Ruins, and Kasama Inari Shrine.

Unique Foods to Eat & Where to Get Them

• Melon Soft Serve from Azalea Café.

Admission Fee & Hours

Admission to the Kasama Azalea Park and Festival is ¥500/Person/Day.

The Festival is from 8:00-18:00

How To Access

By Public Transportation

• From Tokyo (Ueno Station) take a JR Joban Line train bound for Katsuta getting off at Tomobe Station. *Least Expensive (2 hours 9 minutes, ¥1,980 one way per person) Note: JR Pass Compatible

• From Tokyo (Ueno Station) take a JR Hitachi & Tokiwa Limited Express train bound for Katsuta getting off at Tomobe Station. *Quickest (1 hour 7 minutes, ¥3,560 one way per person) Note: JR Pass Compatible

• From Tomobe Station take a special Kasama Sightseeing Bus getting off at the Kasama Nichido Museum of Art. It’s a 5 minute walk to Kasama Azalea Park.

By Car

• Tomobe IC (6.3 km South)
• Kasama-Nishi IC (10.1 km Southwest)

Here is the link for their official site.