13 best places to see hydrangeas in and around Tokyo

June and rainy season also means it’s the season for the grey month’s most iconic flower: ajisai, the Japanese hydrangea. To see the blue beauties in bloom right here in Tokyo, head for Hakusan Shrine and its popular Ajisai Matsuri, which features up to 3,000 flowers spread out over an area reaching from the shrine toward nearby Hakusan Park. A number of performances will also be taking place at the shrine including taiko drum performances, hula dancing and a jazz performance by a local school band. 

The shrine itself is known for its power to heal dental ailments, so you may witness a traditional tooth-prayer ceremony or the like during the event period.

Looking for a weekend getaway to see hydrangeas in nature without leaving Tokyo proper? Check out the hydrangea festival at Wonderful Nature Village next to Tokyo Summerland, taking place from June 6 to July 5. Here, you’ll find a sea of white hydrangeas blooming across the hillsides. This section of the sprawling park alone is home to more than 15,000 hydrangeas, which are expected to reach peak bloom from mid to late June.

Aside from the white Anabelle hydrangea, the park also cultivates beautiful blue hydrangeas Kurohime and Ezohoshino that are indigenous to Japan. These varieties will likely reach peak bloom between early to mid June.

While you’re there for these summer blooms, why not beat the heat with a refreshing splash at nearby Tokyo Summerland? This super popular water park on the fringes of Tokyo boasts a large indoor pool for all weather conditions as well as a 650m-long outdoor pool with flowing water. 

The hydrangea festival takes place daily from 9am to 5pm.

From now until June 14, you can catch hydrangeas blooming in one of Tokyo’s most picturesque Japanese gardens. Rikugien Gardens is currently celebrating the onset of summer with around 1,000 hydrangeas spanning 15 varieties. 

The highlight of the event is arguably the mountain hydrangeas, an elegant variety of that has bloomed on the Japanese archipelago since ancient times. These flowers may not have the conventional appearance of a common hydrangea, but they are still beautiful in their own right while being of modest colour and size. At the garden you’ll also find the vibrant pink Satsuki azaleas, which are also native to the mountains of Japan.

Entrance to Rikugien costs ¥300 (free for primary students and younger). Posters explaining the different varieties of hydrangeas will feature descriptions in both Japanese and English.

Go on a floral outing this summer to enjoy the sight of over 20,000 hydrangeas at the 25th annual Hakkeijima Hydrangea Festival. Held from June 6 to June 28, this free event lets you explore the island of Hakkeijima (about 30 minutes by train from Yokohama) and its eight hydrangea spots.

Highlights include the indigenous Hakkei-blue hydrangea, a variety created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise theme park. The island features eight hydrangea viewing spots in total, some of which also double as stamp rally checkpoints. Collect stamps from five participating locations and you’ll receive discounts at selected restaurants and shops around the island.

Whenever you need to rest your feet and recharge, restaurants across the island are serving special flower-themed drinks and desserts. The most eye-catching of them all is the hydrangea lemon tea (¥520) sold at Cable Car Coffee.

Built in the 8th century, this ancient temple has more than 200 types of hydrangeas – about 7,500 flowers in total – blooming from June to early July in its garden. The vibrant flowers surrounding the 45m five-story pagoda blend beautifully with the vermillion colour of the tower. The flowers also spread along the mountain behind the temple where you’ll find 88 small standing Jizo statues, creating a mystical ambience. 

The temple was owned by a famous member of the Shinsengumi police force during the Edo period (1603-1867). Dedicated to Fudo Myo-o, the temple has a massive wooden sculpture of the Buddhist deity that weighs 1,100kg and is said to be the largest of its kind in Japan.

The temple's hydrangea festival takes place throughout June.

Head to the Local Forest Museum in Fuchu from May 30 to July 5 for its annual hydrangea festival, which features around 10,000 flowers of 30 different varieties spread out over the museum’s 140,000sqm garden. On Annabelle's Road and Annabelle's Hill, you can enjoy beautiful white Annabelle hydrangeas and their sweet scents. Aside from that, the museum features old farmhouses, townhouses, and historic buildings filled with local artefacts.

Entry is ¥300 for adults, junior high school students and younger children ¥150, free for kids under four.

Flanking both sides of the Sumida River, this park is most popular as a vantage point for the Sumida River Fireworks Festival in summer. Aside from that, the Asakusa side of the park has a 2km promenade called Ajisai Road (Hydrangea Road) with over 7,000 hydrangea shrubs of different species.

Mid-June is the best time to enjoy these charming flowers and we recommend visiting early in the morning or late in the evening, when the park is less crowded and more serene. At sunset, you can watch the lights come on at Tokyo Skytree across the river.

One of Japan's first public parks, this sprawling green space in central Tokyo is a famous spot for cherry blossoms in spring and hydrangeas in summer. You’ll find hydrangeas of different species growing along beside the park's many paths. The best time to see them is from mid-June to early July. The temple in the middle of the park’s lake is a great photo spot.

Just a one-minute walk from Tamagawa Station lies Tamagawadai Park and its multilevel hydrangea garden. Around 3,000 hydrangea shrubs of seven different types bloom from early to mid-June, especially along the laneways, steps and slopes around the station. The park also features a kofun (ancient burial mound), an observation deck, a water botanical garden, a seasonal wildflower garden and more.

Asukayama Park in northern Tokyo has been a popular spot for cherry blossoms since the Edo period (1603-1867), but the park is also known for its hydrangea garden, which reaches its peak in June. The Hydrangea Road has approximately 1,300 flowers, all running along a slope beside the JR Keihin Tohoku line track. Note that on a rainy day, the narrow path can become a bit treacherous, so take care when walking.

The park also has three museums, including one dedicated to the history of the local Kita ward, going right back to prehistoric times.

This traditional Japanese garden tucked among skyscrapers on the edge of Tokyo Bay was once a hunting ground for the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period (1603-1868). From June to early July, the garden features roughly 175 hydrangea bushes of seven different species blooming alongside Japanese irises – the colourful flowers blend beautifully together. The garden also has several traditional tea houses, so you can relax over a cuppa after exploring the garden.

¥300 for adults, free for primary school students and younger children.

Built in 1973, the local Hydrangea Park in Kodaira city covers an area of about 2,800sqm and has over 1,500 hydrangeas blooming every year in June. Hydrangeas bloom along sidewalk lanes, rock stairs and around a pond with floating light-pink water lilies, adding to the park's quiet atmosphere. The park is about a five-minute walk from Kodaira Station on the Seibu Shinjuku line.

To see Kamakura's hydrangeas in their colourful glory, hop on the Shonan-Shinjuku line at Shinjuku Station for a direct, one-hour ride to Kita-Kamakura Station. From there, it’s a short walk to three of the area’s most majestic temples – Tokei-ji, Jochi-ji and Meigetsu-in – all of them feature an abundance of the pretty flowers in various shades of blue, purple and pink.