Spring traditions in Japan: rose festivals

Each year in spring, late spring, there are rose festivals all around Japan. The main month is usually May, but when in May will depend on the geographical location. In the Kanto plain they are most often around mid May to late May. However, like almost all flowers, the roses have been early to bloom in recent years and some places have adjusted the period of their rose festivals accordingly. Others have stuck to the usual dates with the result there is often no roses blooming by the end of the festival. Or at least very few.

To that end, I went to the rose festivals early this year. I went to four in total (one of them three times!) The ones I went to were all in Saitama Prefecture, which has a great selection of both rose gardens and rose festivals. In my experience, people come out in droves for the rose festivals. In Saitama Prefecture anyway. I see more people at rose festivals / gardens than I see at any other flower festivals bar cherry blossom festivals. With the result, there is usually a good atmosphere at the rose festivals.

Each rose festival has their own way of doing things. The ones I went to this year had no entry charge and no parking costs. But I have been to festivals in the past where you had to pay into the rose garden or you had to pay for parking. The prices vary greatly too from 300 yen to 1200 yen! The latter is the price to enter a rose festival at a private residence. I went in the past went it was 1000 yen, but I draw the line at a 1000 yen to admire roses!

Did you go to a rose festival this year? Or maybe the roses are only starting in your prefecture? If so, do you plan to go? Are they free in your area? Or like Saitama is there a mix - some free, some have an entrance fee?