The Best Hydrangea Flower Viewing Spots in Japan

Anyone who's spent any time researching a trip to Japan knows that the country has a long-lived tradition of flower viewing, but unless you've spent a lot of time in Japan throughout the year, there's a good chance you only know about cherry blossom viewing. While late cherry blossoms flow through the air of Japan and cherry blossom viewing dominates the sightseeing industry every March and April, the pink blossoms are far from the only flowers to draw attention in Japan! April and May bring azaleas, wisteria, and nemophila flowers to the land of the rising sun, before one of our favorites blooms every June: hydrangeas!

While the world is still fighting its way through the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan is slowly starting to return to normal life, and an outdoor trip to see the flowers is the perfect way to get out of the house while still maintaining social distancing! So we have a few recommendations for the best areas to check out hydrangeas in Japan, and conveniently, they all happen to be hydrangea spots easily accessible from Tokyo.

An hour or so south of Tokyo, Hakone is known as a resort town and a popular rural escape for city dwellers. Early every summer, the Hakone Tozan train line receives a boom in popularity, as it becomes Hakone's defacto "hydrangea train"! The tracks climb the local mountainside, and as the train wends its way up, hydrangeas (called ajisai/紫陽花 in Japanese) blooming on all sides make for a unique summer attraction. While social distancing might make a trip in the hydrangea train a little ill-advised, the paths through the hills are a great substitute, giving you a closer view of the flowers, too.

Hakone is most famous for its onsen (hot springs/温泉) which are a joy to visit year-round, so stop by and take a dip in the steaming waters after a day hiking through the hydrangeas!

❁Read more about Hakone's hydrangeas here!

A little closer to Tokyo, but also south of the city, is Enoshima Island. This little island, and nearby Kamakura on the mainland, are known for lovely beaches, a great aquarium, quite a few cats, and some great hydrangeas. Admire the flowers as you climb towards the center of the island, and you'll be rewarded with some great views of the hydrangeas with the picturesque beach in the background!

While you're there, Hasedera Temple (長谷寺) is a popular destination on the mainland, particularly known for the hydrangeas on the temple grounds!

❁Read more about Enoshima & Kamakura's hydrangeas here.

Let us know all about your summer plans in Japan, and feel free to ask us any questions, at the Japankuru twitter, instagram, and facebook!