Ancient Lotus Park & Gyoda Tower [Saitama]

【Overview of Ancient Lotus Park】

Ancient Lotus Park (Kodai Hasu no Sato) is a scenic park and one of the premier lotus viewing spots in the Kanto region, boasting vast grounds of approximately 14 hectares (equivalent to about three Tokyo Domes). The park features a diverse array of natural attractions and one of the world’s largest rice paddy art displays, centered around the historically valuable “Gyoda Lotus.” The Gyoda Lotus, the symbol of the park, is an ancient lotus species retaining primitive characteristics dating back roughly 1,400 to 3,000 years.

Its discovery is referred to as a “miraculous germination,” as seeds sleeping deep underground were accidentally unearthed during construction of a nearby public facility, naturally sprouted, and bloomed all at once. The peak blooming season typically spans from mid-June to early August. Because lotus flowers begin blooming in the early morning and start closing by late morning, arriving early—between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM—is essential to catch them in their full beauty.

【Overview of Gyoda Tower】

Gyoda Tower (Ancient Lotus Hall) is a 59.65-meter-tall observation tower located in Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture. It officially adopted this name in 2024 following the attention it received in the hit movie Fly Me to the Saitama: From Biwa Lake with Love. Designed to evoke a flower stem rising from the surface of a lotus pond, with an observation deck shaped like a lotus leaf, visitors can enjoy a sweeping view of the Kanto Plain and the surrounding rice paddy art from a height of 50 meters.

【Gyoda Tower Rice Paddy Art】

The biggest highlight is the Guinness World Record-holding art created using the rice paddies spreading beneath Gyoda Tower as a canvas. The peak viewing period lasts from mid-July until the harvest season in mid-October.

2026 Theme: Featuring a collaboration design with the world-famous game Minecraft, a lively and adorable creation can be viewed in full from the tower.

The contrasting colors are achieved by combining multiple varieties of ancient rice and non-GMO natural rice plants. This can be considered the result of highly sophisticated agricultural technique.

週末日帰りドライブ特集： 歴史ロマンとレトロ絶景を巡る「埼玉県行田市」ルート

Routes to Gyoda City are summarized below. We hope you find this helpful as a reference.

【Nearby Tourist Spots】

Sakitama Shrine, Saitama Museum of the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds, Vert Cafe (Former Oshi Town Credit Union Building), Gyoda Hachimangu Shrine, Oshi Castle Three-Story Yagura (Turret), Oshi Toshogu Shrine

前玉神社【埼玉県】

さきたま史跡の博物館＆将軍山古墳【埼玉県】

ヴェールカフェ（旧忍町信用組合店舗）【埼玉県】

行田八幡神社【埼玉県】

忍城 御三階櫓【埼玉県】

忍東照宮と忍諏訪神社【埼玉県】

【Gyoda Tower Access】

Admin’s Impressions

What impressed me most when visiting Ancient Lotus Park was the beauty of the lotuses blooming in the morning quiet. In flowers that bloom across thousands of years, I felt an indescribable sense of vitality. And then, looking down at the rice paddy art from Gyoda Tower—learning that it is not just a tourist attraction, but holds a story of a “sustainable cycle” where local farmers carefully cultivate the rice and everyone enjoys eating it together in the end, made me love this place even more.

Site / Facility Scale

 (3.5)

Abundance of Nature

 (3)

Ease of Access

 (1.5)

Crowds / Number of Tourists (Lotus Blooming Season)

 (4)

Gyoda Tower Address

2375-1 Kobari, Gyoda, Saitama 361-0024

*Parking is subject to a fee only during the lotus blooming season (typically mid-June to early August). Parking is free during all other periods.

Approximately 22 minutes by city loop bus, or about 12 minutes by taxi, from Chichibu Railway “Gyodashi Station.”

Gyoda Tower Official Website

参考

古代蓮の里（埼玉県行田市）