Category: Spring

Sakura 2018: Inokashira Park

Visit Date: 03/25/2018 (Best Time: early April)

Inokashira Park (井の頭恩賜公園) is a 43-hectares park located on the western side of Tokyo, which sits on both Mitaka and Musashino cities. It is easily accessible via the lively Kichijoji neighborhood. The park’s large pond is one of the favorite sakura spot in Tokyo with its 250 cherry trees lining up its banks.

The warmer weather over the past few days lead to the blossoming of sakura buds. The trees around the pond were 50-70% in bloom and looked very pretty.

Lovely cherry blossoms dangling over the pond.

Continue reading Sakura 2018: Inokashira Park

Hakone Gora Park

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.

Continue reading Hakone Gora Park

Fuji Shibazakura Festival 2017

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.

Continue reading Fuji Shibazakura Festival 2017

Kameido Tenjin Shrine Wisteria Festival 2017

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

Showa Kinen Park Flower Festival 2017

At Showa Kinen Park (国営昭和記念公園, Kokuei Shōwa Kinen Kōen), the flower festival starts with the cherry and rape blossoms in late March and continues until late Mayas as tulips, water lilies, and other flowers come into season. The festival which takes place for over two months attracts visitors from all ages as the myriad flowers creates a beautiful landscape.

2017 Season: March 25 – May 28, 2017
Free Entrance on:
April 29 – Showa Day
May 5 – Children’s Day
May 21 – City Greenery Promotion Campaign in Spring

04/17/2017: The cherry blossom in the park are already past peak but are still pretty to see especially with the gorgeous field of rapeseed planted near the Cherry Blossom Garden.

Vast field of fully bloomed rapeseeds.

Continue reading Showa Kinen Park Flower Festival 2017