It’s Wisteria season in late April to early May. You can find them in many places: riverside, sidewalks, private houses.
These photos are a small trellis on the riverside along Kamo River in the center of Kyoto City.
I show particularly famous places for wisteria from Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
Ashikaga Flower Park
Located in the outskirts of Tokyo, it’s the most famous wisteria park in Japan. It has 1000 square meters of wisteria trellises and more than 350 kinds of it. It’s stunning and amazing if we can get there, but it is the con. It takes more than 2h train ride or car drive from the center of Tokyo.
So I pick 4 places inside Tokyo. These are quite accessible from train stations.
Kameido Tenjin Shrine
This is a classic place for wisteria, which has been famous for 350 years. It’s even depicted by a famous Ukiyoe painter Utagawa Hiroshige. We can enjoy annual Wisteria Festival for nearly 1 month in April. It’s approximately 15m walk from Kameido Station.
Hie Shrine
Next to Japan’s National Parliament and Prime Minister’s official residence, you can enjoy beautiful wisteria literally in the center of Japan’s politics and government facilities. This shrine is also known a long outdoor escalator. You can also enjoy the collaboration of ancient Japanese Shintoism and modern technology.
It’s just less than 10 minute walk from Akasaka Station, Akasaka-Mitsuke Station or Tameike-Sanno Station.
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
Next to Tokyo Dome Baseball Stadium, this garden is a wonderful place to enjoy nature and Japanese gardens, including wisteria.
Shiba Rikyu Gardens
In front of Hamamatsucho Station, Shiba Rikyu Garden also has beautiful wisteria trellis. It’s close to Hama Rikyu Gardens, which is another beautiful Imperial-originated gardens.
Kyoto
Kyoto has also many beautiful trellises and you can find them on your stroll. I pick particularly famous 2.
Byodo-in Temple
With massive titles such as UNESCO‘s World Heritage Site and Japan’s National Treasure, this is 1 of the most famous temples in Japan. The temple hall and the phoenix from this temple have been used on Japanese coins and bills for decades. This temple is also famous for a beautiful wisteria, whose history can be traced back to 11th century.
Jonangu Shrine
Located in the outskirts of ancient city territory of Kyoto, this shrine is famous for plums and various flowers in all seasons including wisteria. It has an ancient wisteria tree, which is 1,200 years old. The con is the accessibility. It’s distant from any stations and bus stops. We need to walk long or have to take a cab.
Osaka
Osaka City has also a couple of beautiful wisteria places. I pick 2.
The most famous is so-called “Noda Wisteria”.
The neighborhood around Noda Station has been famous for wild wisteria for approximately 800 years. We can enjoy it around the station and nearby parks.
Osaka Castle has also a couple of wisteria trellises. When you visit the castle, I strongly recommend to enter from Otemon Gate, close to Tanimachi 4-chome Station. Only from this station, you don’t have to be bothered by steep slopes, as this castle was built on a hilltop.
Then you can find a wisteria place on the right hand before entering the castle.
Photos & article by Shintaro Takagi
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