Seniors’ club creates maze-like sunflower ‘tunnel’ at Tokyo school

By Futoshi Mori / Japan News Senior Writer

11:00 JST, July 28, 2022

A natural tunnel created by sunflowers in full bloom in a garden at an elementary school in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, is delighting the local community.

The sunflowers are growing in a square-shaped garden 20 meters on each side at Mizue Elementary School, which was founded 102 years ago, and they are now more than 2 meters in height.

Visitors proceed through the verdant tunnel but encounter tricky points along the way where they must crouch to enter the next section, as if playing in a maze that both adults and children can enjoy.

About 16 volunteers from a local senior citizens’ club planted sunflower seeds in March and have been nurturing the plants, which can be viewed through September. The volunteers also diligently tend to the school’s flower beds, replanting flowers according to the season.

“Many of the sunflower seeds we had stored in the shed were eaten by rats, but we were able to [make the tunnel] using the remaining seeds,” said Yuichi Iwabuchi, 81. “I’m glad that everyone is happy.”