The four best spots in Kyoto for hydrangea viewing.

It is the rainy season when it rains day after day.
Although it is difficult to get in the mood every day, there are some pleasant things that are only possible during the rainy season.

It is the pleasure of admiring hydrangeas, the flowers that represent the season.
In this article, we will introduce four recommended places to view hydrangeas in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, where you will want to go out and enjoy them!

Table of Contents

Admire the garden of a famous modern building in Kyoto: Former Shimogamo Residence of the MII Family

Is this a hydrangea too? You can see various kinds of hydrangeas! Kyoto Botanical Garden

■To the "Temple of Flowers" with an outstanding view：Zempuji Temple

■Temples that are full of sights to see and be reflected: Yanagidani Kannon Yoji Temple

■ Summary

Admire the garden of a modern architectural masterpiece in Kyoto: Former Shimogamo Residence of the MII Family

The first one is the former Shimogamo villa of the MII family.
In 1909, Akinareisha, the ancestral shrine of the Mitsui family, was relocated to this site. The former Mitsui family's Shimogamo villa was built by Hachiroemon Takamune Mitsui, the 10th generation of the Mitsui North family (the family of the general feudal lord), as a resting place for the Akinareisha.
In 2011, it was designated as an important cultural property (building) because it is a villa of a wealthy merchant of high value in modern Kyoto.

There are three buildings: the entrance building, the main building (shuoku), and the tea house, and a garden extends in front of them.

The symbolic building is the main building. You may have seen it in pictures. You may have seen this building in photographs or other media.
“As the building was built for the purpose of ”enjoying the view," glass sliding doors are used on the first and second floors, creating a veranda and corridor with a good view. The sense of freedom is probably the most attractive feature of this building.
The second and third floors are usually closed to the public, but there is a watchtower on the third floor that offers a view of the Higashiyama mountains, so be sure to visit when the building is open to the public.

In the Hydrangea Garden, there are approximately 400 plants of Tama-hydrangea, Gaku-hydrangea, and Yama-hydrangea.
The photo was taken when I visited in 2021. There is a small walking path in the garden, and I was able to view the colorful blue and pink hydrangeas as I walked around. The close proximity to the hydrangeas makes it possible to take as many photos as you like!

They are planning to increase the variety of hydrangeas in the future, so we can look forward to next year and beyond.

In 2022, only the Ajisai Garden area will be open to the public free of charge on June 18 (Sat.) and 19 (Sun.).
(Admission fee is required to visit the museum and the main garden area.)
Don't miss the chance to enjoy the coexistence of famous modern Kyoto architecture and hydrangeas.

It is well known for its beautiful green maples and mosses from early summer to summer, and during the fall foliage season, you can look over the beautiful garden colored with autumn leaves from the second floor of the main building. Each season presents a different view, and the café, where you can take a break in front of the garden, sometimes offers limited-time-only menus, so you will always want to visit every season.

Located just south of Shimogamo Jinja Shrine by the Ichino Torii (first torii gate), it is a great place to visit in combination with Shimogamo Jinja Shrine.

Name: Former Shimogamo Villa of the MII Family
Address: 58-2 Shimogamo-Miyagawacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Phone: 075-366-4321
Access: 3 min. walk from Demachiyanagi Sta.

HP:https://ja.kyoto.travel/tourism/article/mitsuike/

Is this a hydrangea too? You can see various kinds of hydrangeas! Kyoto Botanical Garden

The next hydrangea spot is Japan's oldest botanical garden, Kyoto Botanical Garden.
As a botanical garden, it has the largest variety of hydrangeas in Kyoto!

If you enter from the main gate, head east along the avenue of Japanese cypress trees; if you enter from the north gate, head south and you will arrive at the hydrangea garden.

In the center of the hydrangea garden is a lotus pond, surrounded by approximately 2,500 hydrangea plants.
Japanese native species bloom in early June, and Western hydrangeas bloom in late June.
The sight of many different kinds of hydrangeas blooming at the same time is breathtaking, including Gaku hydrangea, Yama hydrangea, Western hydrangea Annabelle, Smile Pink, and Benitemari. The blooming period shifts little by little, so you can appreciate them over a long period of time.

During the hydrangea blooming season, visitors can also enjoy other flowers such as roses, irises, green autumn leaves, and lotuses.
The grounds are so vast that you could spend a whole day there if you take your time looking around. If you get tired, you can have lunch or tea at "In the Green" dining room just outside the Hokusan-mon gate!
Pizzas baked crispy in a wood-fired oven are the signature dish, but the author recommends the BBQ.
After refreshing myself at the botanical garden as much as I wanted during the day, I had a BBQ with my friends and family, and it was an easy way to feel like I was outdoors,
And yet there was no messy cleanup! It was a big hit with adults and children alike.

In addition, there are many other stylish and delicious gourmet spots around the botanical garden, such as "Toyotei," a long-established Western-style restaurant, and "Mar Blanche," known for its delicious and cute sweets. You can have your re-entry stamped when you leave the Botanical Garden, so you can make love and enjoy Kitayama's gourmet foods as well.

Facility name: Kyoto Botanical Garden
Address: Shimogamo-Hangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Phone: 075-701-0141
Access: Subway Kitayama Stn., short walk from Exit 3

HP:https://www.pref.kyoto.jp/plant/

Go to the "Flower Temple" with a great view: Zenpuji Temple

The next place famous for hydrangeas is Zenpuji Temple.
Zempuji Temple is the head temple of the Zempu Kannon Sect, located in Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, and its precincts cover an area of about 30,000 square meters.
The temple is well known for its cherry blossoms in spring, hydrangeas in summer, autumn azaleas in fall, and autumn foliage from November. The temple is so rich in flowers that the Kyoto Test asked, "Which temple is known as the temple of flowers?

The number of hydrangeas at Zempuji Temple is one of the largest in Kyoto, with 10,000 plants!
The Hakusan Cherry Blossom Hydrangea Garden, located on the south side of the temple grounds, is covered with hydrangeas covering the mountainside. The flowers on a grand scale, completely different from the hydrangeas you see in the city, are a spectacular sight that must be seen at least once.

The grounds of Zempuji Temple are so vast that you have to climb a very steep slope for about 10 minutes after arriving at the bus stop. The Kaisando-Hall, Shakado Hall, and Yakushi-Hall offer a view of the city of Kyoto, giving the temple a slightly otherworldly feel. Although it is a little difficult to access from the center of Kyoto, it is well worth the visit, and hydrangea lovers should take this opportunity to visit!

Name of facility: Zenpuji Temple
Address: 1372, Oharano Koshio-cho, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto City
Phone: 075-331-0020
Access: 20 minutes by cab from Nagaoka Tenjin Station on the Hankyu Line

HP:http://www.yoshiminedera.com/

■Temples that are full of sights to see and be reflected: Yanagidani Kannon Yoji Temple

Last but not least is the Yanagiya Kannon Yanggokudera Temple.
It is a historic temple in Nagaokakyo City, and has been worshipped by various people, including members of the royal family, as a ”place of prayer for healing eye diseases” since the Heian period (794-1192).
In 2017, the temple began offering seasonal "Hanachozu" (flower hand-watering) and "pressed flower red stamps" with an eye toward social networking.
In addition to hydrangeas and autumnal foliage, flower hand-watering arrangements inspired by seasonal events such as Christmas and Valentine's Day are also featured, and it would be no exaggeration to say that not a day goes by without seeing a picture of this temple on social networking sites.

The best time to view hydrangeas is usually from early June to early July. About 5,000 hydrangeas are in full bloom, and "Hydrangea Week" is held during this season.
During the period, there will be a special opening of the Kamishoin (upper drawing room), where you can see the famous garden (Jogyuen), which was selected as one of the 100 gardens of the ancient capital before the war, a special opening of the "Mummy of a Mysterious Creature" in the temple treasury, and a special red seal for Hydrangea Week.
The 2022 Hydrangea Week will last until Thursday, June 30, so if you have been wondering about Hanatemizu, go out and make love to them!

Facility Name: Yanagiya Kannon Yanggokudera Temple
Address: 2 Jodoya Donoya, Nagaokakyo City
Phone: 075-956-0017
Access: 10 minutes by cab from Hankyu Nishiyama-Tennozan Station

HP:https://yanagidani.jp/

■ Summary

What do you think of these four recommended hydrangea spots in Kyoto?
Enjoy the mysterious beauty of the rainy season to the fullest this year as well!