Kinchakuda, located in Hidaka City, Saitama Prefecture, is a piece of land that was formed over a long period of time by the winding flow of the Koma Rever. It is called Kinchakuda because its shape looks like a drawstring pouch.
 Various flowers bloom here depending on the season. In spring, cherry blossoms and rapeseed flowers bloom; in summer, hydrangeas and lotus flowers; and in autumn, cosmos and cluster amaryllis (red spider lilies). The field of cluster amaryllis, said to contain as many as five million flowers, is especially impressive. An information sign near Shikadai Bridge even describes it as “Japan’s largest cluster amaryllis colony.” In 2017, the Emperor and Empress at that time visited the area on a private trip and enjoyed the flowers in full bloom.

 Every year, from around mid-September when the flowers begin to bloom until early October, the “Kinchakuda Cluster Amaryllis Festival” is held in the Manjushage Park. Local food and specialty products are sold, and the area becomes lively with many visitors. Normally, admission to the park is free, but during the flowering season an entrance fee is charged. When I visited in 2022, the entrance fee was 500 yen. Please note that the period when admission is charged does not always match the festival period exactly.
 Usually, barbecues using fire and the setting up of tents are allowed on the riverbank of the Koma Rever, but these activities are not permitted during the festival preparation and event period. During the 2022 festival, only a few people were seen spreading leisure sheets on the riverbank and eating lunch. That seems to be acceptable, so bringing a boxed lunch and enjoying the festival could be a nice idea.
 For up-to-date information, such as whether the flowers are in bloom, whether admission is charged, and whether the festival is being held, please check the official website of Hidaka City.

 After enjoying the flowers in the park during the festival, I took a look around the nearby area. There was a large parking lot, and many different flowers were also blooming beautifully around it. There were rice fields as well, and it looked like the rice harvest had already finished. Several scarecrows standing in a row left a strong impression.
 Although it was much smaller than the main flower field, I found a small stream-like area where a group of white cluster amaryllis were blooming together. Inside the park, there were a few white flowers mixed among the red ones, but here they were all white. Looking closely, I noticed a small sign nearby that said, “Fireflies are being raised in this area. Please do not collect any living creatures.” This seems to be the “Firefly Breeding Area” shown on the park map.