Hitsujiyama Park

A hilltop park above Chichibu where, in spring, over 400,000 moss phlox plants turn the slopes into a pink and white patchwork beneath Mount Buko.

A hill park that once kept sheep

Hitsujiyama Park sits on the east side of Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture and is part of the prefectural Buko Natural Park. Its original design involved Dr Honda Seiroku, who worked on Hibiya Park in Tokyo among others and is known as "the father of Japanese parks".

Hitsujiyama means "sheep hill": before the war the prefecture had a facility here for raising wool sheep. Sheep are still kept today at the park's petting farm.

The Shibazakura Hill

The park's most famous sight is the Shibazakura Hill. Shibazakura (moss phlox) is a plant that creeps along the ground and in spring carpets it with small flowers that look a little like cherry blossoms. More than 400,000 plants of 10 varieties cover a slope of about 17,600 square metres.

Pink, white and purple varieties are planted side by side, and the Chichibu Tourism Association describes the result as a literal "patchwork of flowers". From the hill you can see Mount Buko (1,304m), the symbol of Chichibu. Planting began in 2000, and the hill has become widely known since.

The flowers are usually at their best from mid-April to early May, when the Shibazakura Festival is held, with a market on the hill selling Chichibu specialities.

Other seasons and getting there

Outside the moss phlox season the park is a favourite place for locals to relax, with a lawn where Somei Yoshino cherry trees bloom, the Miharashi Hill looking out over Chichibu, the Mount Buko museum, the art museum Yamato Art Museum, and the Wanpaku Hiroba playground with wooden play equipment.

It is about 20 minutes' walk from Seibu-Chichibu Station or from Ohanabatake Station on the Chichibu Railway. From Ikebukuro in Tokyo you can reach Seibu-Chichibu Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro and Seibu Chichibu lines.

Tips

• How well the moss phlox is flowering depends on the weather and changes every year. Check the bloom information from the Chichibu Tourism Association or Chichibu City before you go.
• Drones, live streaming, smoking and picking plants are all banned in the park.

Sources

• 羊山公園（ひつじやまこうえん）｜秩父市 (opens in a new tab)
• 羊山公園の芝桜｜秩父観光協会 (opens in a new tab)
• 羊山公園 - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.