Japan's Summer Flowers

In summer the variety of blooming flowers on show is of course not as great as in spring which is particularly famous for its sakura, fuji and azalea. But there are many kinds of flowers that can only be enjoyed in summer.

Hydrangea bushes bloom in June and July. In Japanese, the hydrangea is known as ajisai and for some reason I find that name easier to remember. Anyway, I was planning to catch it during my last visit at the end of July and, fortunately, I did! I found some gorgeous ajisai when I visited Enoshima as well as in the garden of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha. The ajisai flowers I saw were of a variety of colours - bright blue, bright pink, violet, pale blue and green. The ajisai is celebrated in summer with festivals like the Bunkyo Ajisai Matsuri in Tokyo or the Michinoku Ajisai Festival in Tohoku.

The flower I most wanted to see was a blooming lotus. The lotus is famous in many Asian countries and has sacred connotations as it is often pictured together with the Buddha. I’d never seen a lotus in bloom before and so seeing them in Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park was quite a thrill for me! When I arrived it was early morning and all I could see was a ‘sea’ of green leaves. But then I spotted them. Some of them were just beginning to open, while others were in full bloom. All were wonderful with their morning dew. Lotus flowers like to hide under their large leaves but fortunately my camera pictured them much better than my eyes could. Lotus can be found in many other places too.

Elsewhere, in the Samuel Cocking Botanical Garden in Enoshima and Shinjuku Gyoen, I found some absolutely beautiful roses and hibiscus, a real feast for the eyes. In Shinjuku Gyoen, there were also magnolia and white-coloured camellia. You can also find sunflowers growing and even festivals dedicated to hem like the Akeno and Zama Sunflower Festivals.

Flowers are wonderful and summer is a great time to see some beautiful examples in Japan.