Firework Festivals or Hanabi Matsuri are held all over Japan during the summer season. The festivals are participated by both local and foreign visitors because of the lively atmosphere and beautiful color display on the night sky. It is best enjoyed by enthusiast by wearing a traditional yukata, summer kimono or jinbei.
Below is a list of some of the 2017 Hanabi schedule:
Summer is here and what could be the best way to cool off the summer heat than to go swimming and enjoy the water. Fortunately, Tokyo offers abundant water parks where family and friends can go for a refreshingly cool getaways. Here are some of the water parks accessible from central Tokyo:
Gora Park (強羅公園) is Japan’s first French style garden opened in the 3rd year of the Taisho era (1914). It features a large fountain at the center with various seasonal flowers such as roses, azaleas, hydrangeas, wisteria, bougainvillea, peony, as well as cherry blossoms scattered around the garden. The garden is surrounded by wide sky and mountains which makes it a very relaxing place.
05/14/2017: The azalea flowers around the park are past peak with most of the flowers fallen on the ground. Those that were left however are still very pretty.
The Fuji Shibazakura Festival (富士芝桜まつり) or moss phlox festival at Lake Motosuko is one of the most popular event in Japan. About 800,000 five-petaled moss phlox of about seven varieties bloom in about 2.4 hectares field, creating a beautiful bright floral carpet under the foot of Mt.Fuji. These shibazakuras grow in white, fluorescent pink, red, rose pink, deep mauve, and white.
2017 Season: April 15 – May 28, 2017
The moss phlox which is native to North America is called shiba-zakura (or lawn cherry in Eglish) because its flowers resembles to cherry blossoms, where both have five petals, and it is a creeper plant that covers the ground like a lawn.
05/07/2017: Almost all of the shibazakura flowers are in full bloom and at their best viewing. Despite the cloudy weather, Mt Fuji presented itself the entire day, creating a breathtaking landscape which indeed leaves an unforgettable memory.
The cherry trees around the resort were also in full bloom, providing a complete experience of sakura and shibazakura.
Sakura and shibazakura flowers reflected on the Ryujin pond.
Kameido Tenjin Shrine (亀戸天神社) is a Shinto shrine located on the east side of Tokyo in Koto ward. It is not only a place to pray butalso a great place to view wisteria. About 200 trees of lovely purple wisteria blossoms dangled from 15 trellises, which mostly hang around the pond.
2017 Season: April 15 – May 7, 2017
It is one of the lesser known flower festivals but equally as beautiful and very accessible to central Tokyo.
04/27/2017: The trellises near the shrine are in full bloom creating a gorgeous canopy over the pond and bridges.
Lovely lavender-colored wisteria flowers dangled from the trellises.
Continue reading Kameido Tenjin Shrine Wisteria Festival 2017
