Held every year in late October through to the beginning of November is the Urasa Chrysanthemum Festival. Pots upon pots of Japan's national flower fill the picturesque grounds of the Bishamondo Temple, which can be found a short walk away from Urasa Station itself.
The flowers on display here are grown in towns from all around the region - Minami-Uonuma City, Uonuma-shi, Tokamachi-shi, Ojiya-shi, Yuzawa-machi, Tsunan-machi and Nagaoka-shi. Among the many chrysanthemums on display, there are even varieties which have been grown by local school students, showing that age is no barrier to having a green thumb! If you'd like to try your hand at cultivating these beautiful blooms yourself, there are a host of chrysanthemum plants available for purchase at the event.
If you can't make it to the temple during the festival dates, it's a worthwhile spot to visit no matter the time of year. It's particularly scenic during the winter months when the region is covered in a healthy dose of snow.
