Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi prefecture You may not think wisteria is as travel-worthy as cherry blossoms, but…need I say more? There’s only one reason to trek all the way out to Ashikaga at the beginning of May, and that’s to see the astoundingly huge wisteria at the Ashikaga Flower Park. But guess what? It’sContinueContinue reading “Come for the purple, stay for the lights”
Tag Archives: Flowers
The fabulous flower season that happens when nothing else is blooming
February in Japan is not fun. Cold and gray, its only festival involves demons, dry beans and smelly sardines. There would pretty much be nothing to look forward to, if it weren’t for the… Plum blossoms! And although their blooming doesn’t promise no more snow, plum trees bloom while every other flower and leaf isContinueContinue reading “The fabulous flower season that happens when nothing else is blooming”
The weird world of bonsai chrysanthemums
The first time I saw these, I laughed out loud, because the idea of someone lavishing the kind of loving care necessary to train a bonsai seemed so ludicrous when applied to ghetto chrysanthemums Venerable bonsai pines, move over for…bonsai chrysanthemums! Yes, bonsai chrysanthemums are A Thing. And it happens in Japan every year inContinueContinue reading “The weird world of bonsai chrysanthemums”
Surprising flower extravaganzas of fall
Flowers that look small and humble by themselves, but are spectacular and mighty in great numbers When I started thinking about what’s so special about September in Japan, the first things that came to mind were three obscure flowers that are nobody’s favorite. By themselves, they’re utterly small and forgettable. You might even be aContinueContinue reading “Surprising flower extravaganzas of fall”
A serene lotus garden grown from 3,000-year-old seeds
This month’s destination: Gyoda Ancient Lotus Park, Saitama An excavation for a new city building unearthed 3,000-year-old lotus seeds of a variety that was thought to be long extinct. When they sprouted and bloomed, scientists were so delighted that the city dedicated a large tract of land to their cultivation, and the Gyōda Ancient LotusContinueContinue reading “A serene lotus garden grown from 3,000-year-old seeds”
Japanagram 