Japan is Nippon 日本語
Row of cherry trees in bloom along the Gongendo embankment above a field of yellow rapeseed flowers
Photo: くろふね, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Saitama · park

Gongendo Sakura Embankment (Gongendo Park)

権現堂堤

An embankment in Satte, Saitama, where about 1km of cherry trees above yellow rapeseed flowers make stripes of pink and yellow, with more blooms all year.

Cherry blossom trees lining the grassy Gongendo embankment under a blue sky
Photo: くろふね, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rapeseed field in front of the cherry tree embankment at Gongendo on a cloudy spring day
Photo: Ocdp, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

From river embankment to cherry blossom spot

Gongendo-zutsumi is an embankment in Satte City, Saitama Prefecture. It was originally the levee of the Gongendo River, which once branched off from the Tone River, and today it is part of the prefectural Gongendo Park.

In 1920, 3,000 Somei Yoshino cherry trees were planted along the roughly 6km embankment, and it became one of the best cherry blossom spots in the Kanto region. Towards the end of the Pacific War, however, the trees were cut down for fuel. Cherry trees were planted again in 1949, and about 1,000 of them still stand today along a stretch of roughly 1km.

Pink blossom, yellow flowers

The spring highlight is the pairing of the pale pink cherry trees with the yellow nanohana (rapeseed flowers) that carpet the fields around them. The nanohana are planted on about 19,000 square metres of surrounding farmland. A cherry blossom festival is held here every year at this time.

The park has flowers for other seasons too: daffodils; in June, about 10,000 hydrangea plants of about 100 varieties; in July, about 150,000 sunflowers; and in September, about 3 million manjushage, red flowers also called higanbana (red spider lilies). Each has its own festival while it is in bloom.

Getting there

From Satte Station on the Tobu Nikko Line, take an Asahi Bus bound for Goka-machi Yakuba (Goka Town Office) and get off at Gongendo Iriguchi. By car, it is about 10 minutes from Satte IC or about 20 minutes from Kuki IC.

Parking is free except during the cherry blossom festival. Car park opening hours change with the seasons, so check the official information.

Tips

  • The best time for the blossoms varies from year to year. Check the festival dates and blooming status on the Satte City Tourist Association website before you go.
  • Car parks and roads get crowded in cherry blossom season, so travelling by train and bus is one option.
  • September is the season for about 3 million red spider lilies, when the embankment turns red and looks completely different from cherry blossom time.

Sources

Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

The tall orange wooden torii gate at the entrance of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
Saitama · shrine Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine 川越氷川神社 Kawagoe's guardian shrine of about 1,500 years, known for matchmaking, with one of Japan's largest wooden torii and fortunes shaped like sea bream.
The dark wooden three-tiered Toki no Kane bell tower rising above old storehouse shops in Kawagoe
Saitama · landmark Toki no Kane (Bell of Time) 時の鐘 Kawagoe's symbol, a bell tower above streets of storehouse-style shops. It has told the time since the Edo period and still rings four times a day.
A narrow stone-paved lane lined with old wooden candy shops in Kashiya Yokocho, Kawagoe
Saitama · old town Kashiya Yokocho (Penny Candy Alley) 菓子屋横丁 A stone-paved Kawagoe alley packed with old-fashioned sweet, candy and dango shops. Follow the smell of grilling soy sauce and snack your way along.
Capybaras soaking in a warm outdoor bath at Saitama Children's Zoo
Saitama · zoo aquarium Saitama Children's Zoo 埼玉県こども動物自然公園 A zoo in the green Hiki Hills of Higashimatsuyama, Saitama, with quokkas found nowhere else in Japan, koalas, and capybaras soaking in hot baths.
Kaminarimon gate of Senso-ji with its huge red paper lantern and crowds passing through
Tokyo · temple Kaminarimon Gate 雷門 Asakusa's symbol at the entrance to Sensoji, famous for its giant red lantern. Guarded by the wind and thunder gods, it marks the start of the temple approach.
Tokyo Skytree silhouetted above the city skyline at dusk
Tokyo · landmark Tokyo Skytree 東京スカイツリー Tokyo's 634 m landmark, the world's tallest freestanding broadcast tower, with two observation decks at 350 m and 450 m giving 360-degree views over the city.