the largest field of its kind in japan, these autumn flowers only last two weeks and are associated with death and the afterlife in japanese culture. commonly known as higanbana, among over a thousand other japanese names, 'higan' translates to 'the other shore', the land of the dead. the flowers are said to guide souls along the banks of the sanzu river into the afterlife.
higanbana can often be seen in and around graveyards because they are highly poisonous and were often planted to deter animals from disturbing the dead. their blooming period, starting around mid september, coincides with the autumnal equinox and the buddhist tradition of o-higan, a time to return home and visit graves to pay respects to ancestors.
they are also a welcome sight for many, as they signal cooler weather and the transition from summer to autumn (thank god 🥵)
📍: kinchakuda manjushage park, hidaka city, saitama (¥500 entry)
🗓: 7am to 5pm. from the 16th of september to 1st of october, 2023.
check @kankou_hidaka on instagram for updates
🚃: 15 min walk from koma station
tips:
- the pathway is very crowded on weekends
and there are no tripods allowed
- the best time to take photos is during early morning or late afternoon as the midday sunlight can be a bit harsh
inspired by: @danidaifuku @ariel.land @natsukioro on instagram
🎧: music from 5 centimetres per second
📸: 24.09.23 - all footage belongs to @tehya.mp4 and permission is required to repost or feature, sharing directly to stories is welcome ♡
