KCP’s Excursion to Chichibu: A Walk through Hitsujiyama Park
Join KCP Spring 2023 student Frank Saponare as he shares his experience with the KCP program’s class excursion to Chichibu’s Hitsujiyama Park.
A view of Hitsujiyama Park and Mt. Buko, which towers across the garden’s skyline
For the 2023 Spring semester, my fellow KCP students and I were taken on an excursion through the city of Chichibu, located in the Saitama prefecture. After taking a train ride from Tokyo to Saitama, students walked through the Chichibu neighborhoods to take in the sights of the rural towns that fill Japan. Where the classes ended up reaching the Hitsujiyama park, a beautiful garden that is home to the Pink Moss Hills.
A KCP class being guided through the Pink Moss Hills
The flowers on the hills come into full bloom between the time period of late April to early May. With the Pink Moss Hills being one of the largest gardens in the Kanto region, with it covering over 17,600 square footage. Along with having nine different varieties of moss pink flowers scattered throughout the garden. With the Hitsujiyama gardens having over 400,000 individual flowers planted on the hills.
“McDaniel’s Cushion” is one of the 9 different types of flowers found along the hills
Towering off in the distance is Chichibu City’s Mt. Buko, a mountain that can be seen from all areas of the garden. Making for many instances of a perfect picturesque experience along the garden’s trails. The Chichibu area is in stark contrast to the Tokyo area that students have become accustomed to. With it teeming with flowers and nature that can’t be found within the city.
Hitsujiyama park’s section of vendors, where they sold popular foods such as dango (rice ball skewers), yakisoba noodles and many more
Accompanying the flowers, Hitsujiyama park also has vendors selling regional foods close to the park to celebrate the blossoming of flowers. Students were able to rest and cool off with some food made available to them. One item that was for sale is a Chichibu staple, the miso-potato, a tempura battered potato skewer covered in miso sauce.
An exterior photo of one of the temples located at the Chichibu Imamiya shrine
After taking in the sights that the flowers Hitsujiyama park had to offer, our group headed over to the Chichibu Imamiya Shrine. Where students were able to not only admire the structures that the shrine had within. But they also learned about the etiquette and traditions that are customary when entering these shrines that are located all over Japan.
KCP students participating in a purification ritual where they wash their hands
to cleanse themselves prior to entering the shrine
Chichibu’s pride in the Pink moss hills can be found in other areas of the city as well. After taking a tour through the gardens, we all then finished our day by returning to Chichibu station. Where the shops located within the station were decorated in pink in tandem with spring’s sakura flowers and the blossoming flowers located in Hitsujiyama park.
Chichibu’s train station shop decorated for the Spring season
