Iwatsuki Park located in Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture is a public park, which used to be the castle ground of Iwatsuki Castle.
It is believed that Iwatsuki Castle was built in 1457 by Ota Doshin and his son Dokan under the order of Uesugi Mochitomo, who wanted to suppress the movement of Koga Kubo (the governor general of the Kanto region), Ashikaga Nariuji. However, in the recent years, a newly founded historical record says that it was founded by Narita Shoto, a local minor domain lord and served for Koga Kubo, and this theory is thought to be more reliable now.
Surrounded with natural groves, the park has many ups and downs, where part of the earth work of the castle remains today. The park is one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in the prefecture. The full-blown blossoms of 800 cherry trees seen from the vermillion Yatsuhashi Bridge (zig-zag bridge) over the iris pond is especially beautiful. It is also known as the place to see water lilies.
Here you can enjoy wonderful natural sights as well as various festivals and events all through the year including Cherry Blossom Festival, “nagashi-bina” ritual (drifting Hina dolls) and Ningyo Kuyo (a funeral mass for used dolls).