EMU Seibu 4000 series at Koma Station
Spider lily is an autumn plant with red colored blossom. Some people like it because the blossom is brightly-colored, but some people don’t, as it’s somewhat poisonous-looking. I like this flower very much as it’s a signal of the coming of autumn after a severely hot summer.
The most reputable field of spider lilies in the Tokyo metropolitan area is located in the Koma area, a northwestern suburb. There are large masses of spider lilies along the Koma River. In the middle of September, the bank of the limpid stream changes into solid-red carpet (see the bottom photo), and thousands of people visit there.
In the meantime, to get to Koma, we should take the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line from downtown Ikebukuro. It takes around one hour or so. The Seibu Railway is one of the major railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The route consists of the Ikebukuro Line, the Shinjuku Line and others, extending to the northwestern part of Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture.
In the spider lily blossom season, Koma Station expects to receive thousands of passengers. Luxury limited express trains also stop there temporarily. Although seats of the limited express were fully booked, I was satisfied to ride the standard class train, EMU 4000 series (see the top photo). This train has enough facilities such as cozy seats and sanitary toilets for both short commuter sections and long inter-city lines.
By taking comfortable trains of the Seibu Railway and visiting gorgeous spider lily fields, I enjoyed a relaxed weekend again.
Spider lily field near Koma Station
More information about Seibu Railway: http://www.seibu-group.co.jp/railways/tourist/english/