Each and every flower in Japan represents something special. No matter the season, the time of the year or the prefecture in Japan, you seem to be able to find different flowers at every turn. Poppies in Japan are so gorgeous and there are beautiful spots around the country to find these seasonal flowers. To help you experience Japanese poppies to the fullest, let’s have a look at poppies in Japan, and when and where to see poppies.

Find out all about the different flowers in Japan you can enjoy throughout the year here. Check out what, when and where to see these flowers here: Cherry Blossoms, Tulips, Azaleas, Roses, Poppies, Salvia, Hydrangea, Iris, Lavender, Indian Lotus, Sunflowers, Ume and Moss phlox.

What is a poppy?

A poppy is a flowering plant belonging to the Papaveroideae subfamily of the Papaveraceae family. Poppies are herbaceous plants that are commonly grown for their brightly coloured flowers.

Poppies are herbaceous annual, biennial, or perennial plants with a limited life span. Some species are monocarpic, meaning they only bloom once and then die. Poppies can grow to be over a metre tall, with flowers measuring up to 15 centimetres in diameter.

Poppies have long been associated with sleep, tranquillity, and death: sleep due to the sedative properties of the opium extracted from them, and death due to the common blood-red colour of the red poppy in particular. Poppies were used as tributes to the deceased in Greek and Roman mythology. Poppies used as tombstone symbols represent eternal sleep.

When to see Poppies in Japan? 

The best time to see poppies in Japan depends on the location and the exact area, but generally, you can see poppies in Japan in May.

Where to see poppies in Japan?

Flower Festival / Showa Kinen Park

Every year, from mid-May to late-May, is the ideal time to see poppies. Around 2.4 million petri dish poppies cover the flower hill on the park’s north side like a vivid crimson carpet when it’s in full bloom. The vast field of poppies that stretches as far as the eye can see is simply breathtaking! Enjoy the contrast with the deep blue sky on a clear day.

There are also a variety of facilities such as sports facilities where you can move your body and play, fields where you can relax, restaurants and cafés where you can rest, and you may play all day. Please go on a bright, sunny day.

When to go see: Mid May to Late May

Hirai Sports Park

In mid-May, when it is in full bloom, over 140,000 petri dishes at the Hirai Sports Park on the Arakawa River are pleasing to the sight of visitors. Petri dish poppy is an improved poppy with a plant height of 40 to 60 cm and flower diameter of 5 to 8 cm. This petri dish poppy, which looks like a bright red carpet, is planted in 5 sections on a plot of around 4200 m2 in the same garden. The ideal complement is between bright blooms like red and pink and the chilly riverbed. If the weather is nice, you may see the Tokyo Sky Tree, which is a lovely spot to take a memorable picture.

When to go see: Mid May

Kurihama Flower Park

“Kurihama Flower Park” in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a park with a “flowers” theme and a place where you may completely appreciate the interaction with beautiful nature. Throughout the season, you may enjoy a variety of blooms, and many visitors come from both inside and outside the prefecture. From early April through mid-May, the “Poppy Nemophila Season” will take place. 1 million Iceland poppy, California poppy, and petri dish poppies, as well as floral country festivals like nemophila and Agrostemma, are on display. In addition, around late May, a free poppy picking event will be held for two days (14:00 to 16:00).

When  to go see: Early April to Mid May

2022 Konosu Poppy Field and Festival

The Kounosu Poppy Festival is an annual event held in May in Knosu City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on the Poppy Happy Square. It’s part of the Kounosu Flower Festival, which also includes open gardens.

From the middle of May through the end of the month, the poppy festival takes place. The Konosu poppy festival is divided into two areas: Fukiage Poppy Field and Mamuro Poppy Field.

The majority of the poppies in the Fukiage poppy field are crimson. The longest water pipe bridge in Japan serves as a backdrop. The Mamuro Poppy Field “Poppy Happy Square” is also home to Japan’s largest riverbed width embankment and bridge, which frames the image.

Higashi Sanbin Flower Valley Poppy Festival

Each year in June, the Higashi Sanbin Flower Valley in Shimane is awash with gorgeous red, pink, and white poppies that cover an area of around 10 hectares. On the second Sunday in June, when the flowers are normally at their peak, an annual celebration to commemorate the brilliant blooms takes place.

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What do you think about these flowers in Japan? There are so many different colours, shapes, types, and sizes of flowers, no matter which season you decide to visit Japan, you will sure to be able to find gorgeous Japanese flowers to enjoy!

Find out all about the different flowers in Japan you can enjoy throughout the year here. Check out what, when and where to see these flowers here: Cherry Blossoms, Tulips, Azaleas, Roses, Poppies, Salvia, Hydrangea, Iris, Lavender, Indian Lotus, Sunflowers, Ume and Moss phlox.