Sunflower fields in Akeno, one of the sunniest places in Japan. They bloom across the fields against the Southern Alps, Yatsugatake, Mt. Fuji and other mountains.
The 2026 Hokuto Akeno Sunflower Festival ended on 16 August. Check Hokuto City’s announcements for the next one.
How to enjoy it
You can walk freely among the flowers, so step into the field and take a picture with the mountains behind. On a clear morning the peaks look sharpest.
Akeno gets more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, against a Japanese average of about 2,000. In 2026 some 400,000 sunflowers bloomed on about 4 hectares, a great panorama of flowers and famous mountains. You are free to walk among them.
A summer favourite, held in 2026 from 18 July to 16 August at the main site and the farm park site, with a sunflower market and a photo contest.
In 2026 the number of varieties grew from two to three. The new one, Tohoku Yae, has full, showy double petals.
Hours
9:00–17:00 during the Sunflower Festival (18 Jul–16 Aug in 2026)
Closed
Outside the Sunflower Festival (held 18 Jul–16 Aug in 2026)
Contact
0551-42-1351
Sunflower Festival office (Hokuto City Tourism Division)
place-8026-hero.webpStay · Akeno
A private cottage with a kitchen among the fields.
Tip
Yubae lets you borrow a slice of farm life. When you arrive, step out onto the veranda and take in the width of the fields and the sky. Order the morning vegetable basket, and cooking your own breakfast becomes part of the trip.
place-8020-hero.webpDrink · Akeno
Walk the sunny vineyard, then taste the wines.
Tip
In the vineyard, notice how bunch size and leaf shape differ by variety. The tasting pours wines from the plots you just walked, so you can match landscape and flavor. In the September–October harvest, taste grapes straight from the vine.
place-8021-hero.webpExperience · Akeno
Make your own miso and see the wooden vats.
Tip
The key is mixing the mashed soybeans and koji well, then packing them tight to push out the air. The miso you take home will be ready in about six months. In the works, compare the colors of miso of different ages.
place-8019-hero.webpSee · Sutama
Two gardens at a quiet hillside temple.
Tip
Sit on the tatami of the study hall and the pillars and lintel frame the garden like a picture. Lower your eye line rather than standing. Fresh green in May and red leaves in November are the richest times.