Jul 30, 2014 - 1 min read

Sunflower Field at Kurihara, Zama

The happiest of flowers!

By Jessica A Paje

Community writer

In Japan, the sunflower has been called "Himawari" since the Genroku era (1688-1704)

The petals serve as an attraction for insects and help in the process of pollination

A Japanese envoy to China during the Tang Dynasty brought back the sunflower to Japan in the Edo period

This one stood tall to make sure it was noticed

This one is screaming, "Pick me, pick me!"

The tallest of the crowd is camera shy today

The sunflower is native to North America

The elevated stage for viewing the entire sunflower field certainly comes in handy

Sunflowers thrive in full sun and will not tolerate shade

Can you see the caterpillar nestled in the center?

The Kurihara venue at Zama is near Naval Air Facility Atsugi. Many airplanes flew over during my visit.

The floral head can produce 250–1,500 sunflower seeds (or achenes)

These two beauties are in such unison against the wind

One of the pathways adjacent to the sunflower field at Kurihara venue, Zama

Summer is here and the vibrant, yellow sunflowers are in full blossom! They are such the happiest of flowers and have the natural ability to brighten one’s mood like no other. The informational site called Himawari Batake (Sunflower Field) provides a complete listing of sunflower fields in Japan. The closest fields to Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, are in Zama. Even though I missed the 2014 Zama Sunflower Festival at the Kurihara venue by one day (July 24-29th), most of the statuesque flowers were still in their full glory. The good news is, if you’re still interested in sunflower viewing and street fair festivities, the next Zama Sunflower Festival will be held from August 14-19th at the Zama venue.

For additional information, please also read "Zama Sunflower Festival." A photo story written by Carrie Jacobs on JapanTravel.