The Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from April 1st to 15th every year at Katori Jingū Shrine, as well as three other venues: Suwa Park, along the Ryōsō Irrigation Canal, and along the bank of the Jukken River near Katori City Hall. At those three venues, there are more than 200 cherry trees, most of which are Yoshino cherry trees. At night, they are lit up with 600 Japanese paper lanterns of all sizes. Of the three venues, many people visit the Ryōsō Irrigation Channel, in particular, to view the cherry blossoms both in the day and at night. At Katori Jingū Shrine, about 700 cherry trees of 15 varieties – a majority of which are Yoshino, Oshima, and Japanese cherry trees – bloom in full glory during the festival season. Every year, thousands of visitors flood the tunnels formed by the cherry trees along the front and rear approaches of the shrine. The cherry trees there are also lit up at night. One can appreciate the fantastic view of the flowers while enjoying an evening stroll.

The Suigo Omigawa Cherry Blossom and Azalea Festival takes place from April 1st to early May every year. Well known as one of the most exceptional cherry blossom viewing sites in the Hokuso region, Jōyama Park boasts 1,000 Yoshino and other cherry trees, as well as 4,000 azaleas, which cover the entire mountain in its peak season. The spectacular bloom of flowers attract many onlookers day and night. The trees and flowers are lit up at night, offering spectators a fantastic night view. Jōyama Park is 30 minutes by foot from JR Omigawa Station and 10 minutes by car from Sawara-Katori Interchange.

The one-month-long Suigo Sawara Iris Festival is held every June at Suigo Sawara Ayame Park. This festival features 1.5 million Japanese irises, representing about 400 species, in the largest iris garden in Asia. The six-hectare garden becomes completely covered by a carpet of purple, white, pink, blue, and other colorful Japanese irises and is truly a spectacular sight. Visitors can also take a relaxing boat ride through the pond and view the irises from a Japanese flat-bottomed boat (sappa bune), which is typically steered by a female skipper. During the festival period, there are three days in which couples can get married in the garden and experience a traditional wedding ceremony unique to the rural waterside areas in Japan. Visitors are welcome to watch too, so be sure not to miss it! During the festival, visitors can take a shuttle bus from JR Sawara Station to the garden. It is also accessible by a 20-minute car ride from Taiei Interchange or Sawara-Katori Interchange along the Higashi-Kanto Expressway. To get there by highway bus (Tokyo Station à Aso), get off at the Shokubutsuen Mae stop (in front of the garden) and the garden will be just five minutes away by foot.

For more information, please contact Suigo Sawara Ayame Park.
Address: 1837-2 Ogishima, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture
Tel: +81-478-56-0411
URL: http://www.city.katori.lg.jp/sightseeing/multilingual/en/en-season/en-sawara/en-s_midokoro/en-s_suisei.html
Hours of operation during the Iris Festival: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Admission fee during the Iris Festival: 700 yen for adults and 350 yen for children
Note: Group discounts are available.

The Cosmos Festival, which begins in mid-September and continues for an entire month, takes place at a three-hectare cosmos field located within a 5-minute walk from JR Jūnikyō Station. During the festival season, large cosmos cover the entire field, creating a beautiful carpet of red, pink, white, orange, yellow, and other vibrant colors. You can also ride a boat from the cosmos field to Lake Yodaura and enjoy the splendid sight of hundreds of striped mullets leaping out of the water around you! Enjoy the spectacular collaboration of flowers, boats, and fish in Sawara!