Where To See The Most Beautiful Wisteria In Tokyo
It’s purple season again! Yes, the wisteria are blooming, and (did you even have to ask?) of course Japan has over-the-top displays of the good purple stuff. Peak season is mid-April to mid-May, so get thee to these spots right now to see the most eye-popping ones around…
ASHIKAGA FLOWER PARK
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Because mother of all wisteria
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Because mother of all wisteria lit up at night
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Because mother of all wisteria lit up at night, conveniently next to a reflecting pool
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Because mother of all wisteria in all shapes and colors
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Because tunnel o’wisteria
I admit that even if you totally stretch the definition of suburb, this park isn’t actually in Tokyo, but it’s so amazing, it would be wrong if I didn’t tell you to hop on a train and daytrip it if you can.
Getting to Ashikaga Flower Park without a car takes about 2.5 hours by train (use the Train Finder to search from your nearest station to Tomita Station), then it’s about a 13-minute walk to the park entrance.
Open: Every day, 9:00-21:00 from mid-April to the end of May
Admission: ¥1700 for adults
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Of course, you don’t have to go that far to see wisteria extravaganzas. There are quite a few awesome displays right in Tokyo. For example…
KAMEIDO TENJIN SHRINE
Dishing up masses of purple flowers since Edo-era artists were inking their woodblocks (see below), the Kameido Shrine has acres and acres of the stuff. It all blooms at once, and…well, see for yourself.
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As you can see, the purple is strong with this one (this photo only shows about a quarter of it)
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Plus, it’s lit up at night until midnight and it’s FREE (how great is that?)
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You can’t really escape the looming Skytree thing at Kameido Tenjin, so it’s best to just give in and let it photobomb all your pictures. (At least it’s lit up in purple in honor of The Season, but still.)
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Purple haze, as far as the eye can see
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The trunks are pretty picturesque too. Weirdly, the ponds surrounding these don’t work very well as reflecting pools, but they do make it necessary to have…
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Bridges. Red ones. Which look awesome with the purpleness.
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Especially after dark.
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Whether you prefer your wisteria light or dark, there’s plenty to go around
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As you can see, they’ve been at it for quite a while. “Wisteria at Kameido” by Hiroshige, 1856
Open: Every day, no closing hours. Lit up until 24:00
Admission: Free
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HIE SHRINE
Smack in the middle of boring, corporate Akasaka, there’s a venerable island of shrine greatness. The Hie Shrine sits on a hill by itself, magnificently attired in red and gold.
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There’s just one rack o’wisteria at the Hie Shrine, but it’s a choice one.
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I think the flowers look especially nice with red shrine buildings in the background
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The sheer exuberance of these vines just makes me happy
Open: 5:00-18:00
Admission: Free
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NISHI-ARAI DAISHI TEMPLE
In the north end of Tokyo, Nishi-arai Daishi Temple is famous for its peony garden (which, if you’re lucky, will still be in bloom) but it also has an impressive pair of giant wisteria plants
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Looks like a great spot to have lunch, doesn’t it?
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It’s next to a nice pond with a waterfall
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And because Boys’ Day is May 5th, the temple’s gigantic carp streamers will be waving in the distance
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These next places have lovely displays of wisteria, set in gorgeous gardens.
KORAKU-EN
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Two long trellises of wisteria sit between the iris ponds and the plum trees at Korakuen Garden
Open: Every day, 9:00-17:00
Admission: ¥300
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HAMA-RIKYU GARDEN
View-worthy wisteria grows in two separate places at this huge stroll garden
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The first is tucked into a beautiful piece of landscaping with a “stream” of iris running beneath it
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And the second bunch is on the long bridge spanning the big pond
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Nice view, don’t you think?
Open: Every day, 9:00-17:00
Admission: ¥300
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When Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death ten years ago wasn’t an accident, his world begins to unravel. New evidence links her to…read more
