What a difference two weeks makes!
Because you endured last month’s navel-gazing about making rock gardens from rocks, it’s only fair that I take you along on the rinse-and-repeat trip I took to Jōnan-gu Shrine two weeks later, to be rewarded with…this!
From the first glimpse of the glories ahead as we round the bend…
to the fireworks going off beyond…
this time, the plum trees at Jōnan-gu do not disappoint. Last month’s cold, bare branches and gnarled trunks have finally put on their party dresses!
The trees aren’t quite in full bloom yet, but torrents of pink and white are already gushing full-blast…
and flower streamers are unfurling all around like ticker tape.
The blooms on some trees are so exuberant, we can hardly see the trunks…
but looking up through the flowers toward the sky, those artfully gnarled limbs are still patiently anchoring the show.
Now that they’re wreathed in pink and white…
their craggy angles are softened by oodles of flowers. I don’t know about you, but I think the contrast makes plum trees even more lovely than sakura.
One of the reasons this garden is so rare and wonderful is that it’s not only designed to draw attention to the trunks and branches, it showcases their shadows.
Look at the gorgeous carpet of moss that flows over this hilly grove! It’s the perfect canvas for casting their crooked shapes…
and is making us look around for where to take the snapshot that goes viral every year.
Because plums are not the only flower that blooms up a storm at Jōnan-gu in March. The hundreds of camellias surrounding the plum garden put on a quieter show, but they manage to upstage the pinkness at the very end, by dropping their bright red heads onto the green velvet.
And even though the masses of blossoms are so eye-popping it’s tempting to be dazzled by the grand view, let’s go back and appreciate the flowers up close, because that’s the other thing that makes me love them more than cherries. These simple flowers always make me feel a burst of hope that spring is just around the corner, even when it still cold enough to be seeing them in gloves and muffler.
But even though we’ve reached the end of the plum garden we’re not done quite yet! Let’s keep walking, because there are more great gardens, and these are at their best in other seasons, in case you don’t happen to be there in February-March.
First, this bamboo forest that’s as lush as the one in Arashiyama, but on a smaller scale
The path winds around the shrine buildings and leads to a garden that’s soul-restoring in every season, but is also…
one of the most beautiful Winding Stream Gardens in Kyoto. The burbling creek doubles back on itself many times because…
it’s designed to be the setting for a ritual based on a Heian Era drinking game where courtiers must compose a poem when a floating sake cup drifts to their perch. This ceremony is still performed at Jōnan-gu in period costume every April 29th (more details about getting reservations on the shrine website).
The stream meanders past the wisteria arbor (which blooms in late April-early May).
and takes us back to the main courtyard. If you’re there on certain special days, the shrine maidens perform a kagura dance to ask the local gods to protect the worshippers lining up to be blessed, and it’s perfectly okay for visitors to watch and take photos. (More details on the Jōnan-gu shrine website.)
But don’t head back to the station after going out the torii gate, because…
just across the path are two more gardens that are closed in winter (when there’s a danger of slipping on icy stone paths), but are well worth seeing in other seasons! The first starts out as a particularly nice Japanese stroll garden…
then opens up to an unusual take on Zen rock gardens, where the “islands” are surrounded by a sea of grass instead of raked gravel.
The path returns to shady glades planted with rare plants and trees…
then leads to a traditional rock garden that we’ll have to go back and see sometime when the moss is looking a little more lively. Imagine how beautiful it is when all that brown stuff is a vibrant green.
But as we finally leave Jōnan-gu, keep your eyes open, because it still might have a few surprises for us. When I was there in plum season, I was stopped in my tracks by the intertwining red and white plum tree branches at this sub-shrine. If you’ve ever wondered how they got the idea for ikebana—the Japanese art of flower arranging—check this out. Doesn’t it look like a living ikebana arrangement, on a grand scale?
Open: Every day
Hours: 9:00 – 16:30
Admission: The shrine is free, but plum garden tickets are ¥1000 for adults
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The Jōnan-gu Shrine is in Kyoto:
From Kyoto Station, you can take either the Kintetsu Line or the Karasuma Line to Takeda Station.
To figure out how to get to Jōnan-gu from where you are, use the Japan Navigation phone app, plugging in your location, travel date and preferred arrival/departure time. Here’s where to get the app and how to use it.
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly Japanagram newsletter, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
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