Beautiful blossoms: Kyoto’s most stunning seasonal flowers and where to admire them

Kyoto offers many spots to admire the beauty of azaleas. Mimurotoji, aptly known as Hana no Tera (the flower temple), is one of them. Located in Uji City, azaleas bloom in profusion around late April to early May. A wander through the garden paths immerses you in a breathtaking ocean of approximately 20,000 blooming azaleas.

Access:
Get off at Mimurodo Station (Keihan Uji Line), and walk for 15 minutes or take a taxi.

Another fantastic spot is Nagaoka-kyo City’s Nagaoka Tenmangu Shrine, which has a 200-metre long entryway lined with Kirishima azalea trees. Their distinctive deep crimson blossoms match the red-and-white lanterns dotted along the edges, creating a wonderfully picturesque pathway.

Access:
20-minute walk from the west exit of Nagaokakyo Station on the JR Kyoto Line, or 10-minute walk from the west exit of Nagaoka Tenjin Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

Fuji (wisteria), with its noble purple hue and gracefully cascading blossoms, has been admired in Japan since ancient times. One of the best fuji spots is the resplendent Byodoin Temple, a World Heritage site in Uji City. Its Phoenix Hall is famous for being depicted on the face of the 10-yen coin. The temple has three fuji trellises, and each tree creates a spectacle of an elegant waterfall of the flowers.
Some even grow over a meter long, which are breathtaking. Ancient trees about 300 years old evoke a sense of awe. Gazing at the central Phoenix Hall through fuji gives visitors the feeling of being lost in a beautiful work of art.

Access:
About 10 min. on foot from Uji Station (Keihan Uji Line), or Uji Station (JR Nara Line).

In the idyllic woodland around Oitomi in Ayabe City is one of Kyoto prefecture’s best-kept floral secrets. Stroll through the area in the first half of May, and you’ll be treated to the spectacular sight of countless fringed irises (shaga) blanketing the forest floor. You can even find a 400-metre-long ‘corridor of irises’, which looks just like a scene from a fairytale. Be sure to take a close look at these pretty flowers to admire the splashes of purple and yellow on the white petals, as well as their intricate fringed edges. The woods are also worth visiting between the end of March to mid-April, when they are transformed into a sea of buttery yellow as countless oriental paperbush flowers (mitsumata) come into bloom.

Access:
The forest is best accessed by car – from the Yamake Intersection on National Route 27, enter Prefectural Road 1 and go straight to the border of Fukui Prefecture.

Roses (bara) are popular flowers all across the world, and Japan is no different. The Ayabe Rose Garden in Ayabe City was created by local volunteers, and has approximately 1,200 roses of an amazing 120 varieties blooming within its grounds. The most notable of these is the ‘Anne’s Rose’ variety, which grows in the central flowerbed. This was carefully cultivated from seedlings received from Anne Frank’s father, and lovingly tended ever since then as a symbol of peace.
　　　
The garden also has a system in which visitors can become partial “owners” of the garden. By paying 3,000 yen to sponsor a plant, visitors can leave a small signboard with their name and a message, which will stay in the garden for three years.

Access:
10-minute walk from the north exit of Ayabe Station (JR Sanin Line).

Around June, the hydrangea garden of the Mimurotoji temple in Uji City transforms into a sea of vibrant colors with about 20,000 hydrangea bushes among Japanese cedar trees. Stepping into this scene is like entering a wonderful world of a fairy tale, where you can immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. And if you’re lucky, you might stumble upon a naturally formed heart-shaped hydrangeas. This temple is famous for the heart-shaped hydrangeas, for there is even a rumor that if you find one, your love will come true. Also, the lit up hydrangeas create a magical atmosphere. (For the illumination, be sure to check the event dates in advance.)

Access:
Get off at Mimurodo Station (Keihan Uji Line), and walk for 15 minutes or take a taxi.

Another temple famous for its hydrangeas is Gansenji Temple in Kizugawa City, in the south part of Kyoto Prefecture, next to Nara. Here you can view around 5,000 hydrangea plants of 30 varieties, creating a stunning scene against a backdrop of the vermillion Three-storied Pagoda surrounded by the greenery.

Access:
From Kamo Station (JR Kansai Line, Yamatoji Line), take Kizugawa City Community Bus towards Kamoyamanoie for about 16 minutes, and get off at Gansen-ji Temple.

Tanshu Kannon-ji Temple in Fukuchiyama City is also much celebrated for its hydrangeas, with over 10,000 flowers of 100 varieties growing within its grounds. Wandering among the masses of blue, purple, white and pink blossoms surrounding the temple buildings is nothing short of magical.

Access:
15-minute walk from JR Isa Station on the San’in Line.

To really lose yourself among the blossoms, pay a visit to Maizuru Nature and Cultural Park in Maizuru City. The park’s hydrangea garden is bursting with a staggering 100,000 hydrangea flowers in 100 different varieties, and you can enjoy a pleasant afternoon strolling along the paths through the multicoloured blossoms.

Access:
From JR Higashi Maizuru Station on the Maizuru Line, take the Kyoto Kotsu Bus Mihama Line to the Natural Culture Garden bus stop.