The ’burbs bloom with hydrangeas

The rainy season is upon us, which also means it’s the season for the grey month’s most iconic bloom: ajisai, the Japanese hydrangea. The English name is especially fitting, as the word ‘hydrangea’ is derived from Greek words meaning ‘a vessel for water’. While the subtly beautiful bloom originates in Japan, they have been cultivated all over the globe – and an amazing variety have been selectively bred and even exported back here.

There are many great types of hydrangea to be enjoyed, from the Japanese native gaku-ajisai (hydrangea macrophylla), to breeds like the seiyou-ajisai (Hydrangea macrophylla f. hortensia). Of course, there are places in the Kanto region that are historically famous: for their hydrangeas, like Kamakura’s Meigetsu-in temple (also known as Ajisai-dera, or ‘Hydrangea Temple’), but they are not the only places worth seeing.

Hydrangeas (and snails) are two very iconic elements of the Japanese rainy season landscape, and there are some jewel locations waiting for you. Get out you umbrella: Time Out Tokyo is going to help you discover them.

Gongendo Sakura-tsutsumi (Satte, Saitama)

Tsutsumi means embankment, and in spring Gongendo is lined with sakura (cherry blossoms), which form a brilliant contrast with the fields of rich, yellow nanohana (rapeseed blossoms) on either side of the banks. Once the rainy season hits, however, it’s time for the hydrangeas, which are planted in between the sakura trees, to show their colours. There are approximately 100 varieties and 12,000 plants to be seen. Not only the common blue and pink flowers, but also hydrangeas in an amazing variety of colours and shapes are waiting to grace your gaze. The Hydrangea Festival is being held until July 4, and on its last day you can receive a pruned hydrangea to take home with you. Every Tuesday and Friday information about how the flowers are blossoming is updated on the website, as well as detailed information about how to get there.

Best viewing: Mid to late June
Access: Satte Station (Tobu Nikko Line); 30-minute walk from station
Website: www.satte-k.com/event/ajisai/ (Festival)

Ajisai-kaido and Mt Ajisai (Ogose, Saitama)

Put on your backpack, and get ready to do some hiking. Your destination will be the town of Ogose, famous in the Kanto area for its ume (plum) groves. Ajisai-kaido is a ‘hydrangea way’ about one hour’s walk from Ogose Station on the Tobu Ogose Line and the JR Hachiko Line. For those of you who’d rather not walk, take the bus bound for Kuro-yama and get off at the Mugihara bus stop. If you make your way through the ume groves, you’ll come to directions to the Ajisai-kaido and Mt Ajisai.

The way lives up to its name with around 5,000 hydrangea plants growing on either side of the road, covering a distance of around three kilometres. Most of them are blue, a type that is particular to the Kanto area – a result of the richly volcanic soil that is so prevalent in the region. Sometimes you’ll see houses, but the road is a perfect course for hiking, followed along the way by a small stream. The way takes around 30 minutes to walk, and waiting at the end is Mt Ajisai. Ten thousand hydrangeas blossom on the surface of the mountain every year, and a walking path threads its way through them, allowing hikers to can feel as if they are completely surrounded by the flowers.

If you are tired from your mini-hike, stop by Yamaneko-ken, a gallery and café nestled amongst the mountains not far from Mt Ajisai. A giant rust-red cricket stands at the entrance to welcome you. There is a beautiful view of the mountains from the upstairs terrace, so don’t forget to take a look. On your way back, why not try to fit some of the plums from the ume grove into your backpack? At ¥500 to ¥1,000 a kilo, it’s a great chance to get your hands on some delicious, fragrant ume plums. They’re perfect for making some ume-shu (plum wine) to sip while reminiscing about the hydrangeas.

Best viewing: Early to late June
Access: Ogose Station (Tobu Ogose Line, JR Hachiko Line); one hour walk from station, or take the Kuroyama bound bus to Mugihara
Website: www.town.ogose.saitama.jp/oshirase/ajisai/ (Festival)

Mt Nokogiri, Nihon-ji Temple (Kyonan, Chiba)

The entirety of this distinctive mountain in Chiba’s Uchibo area (which faces Tokyo Bay) forms the grounds of the temple called Nihon-ji. Nokogiri means ‘saw’ in Japanese, and true to its name, it has a serrated silhouette like the teeth of a saw. Most of the hydrangeas are clustered in the Daibutsu Square, which is looked over by the towering 31 metre-tall Daibutsu (Great Buddha statue), which has been carved out of a cliff on the mountain. Yet, the whole of the mountain is also covered in around 200,000 mountain hydrangeas. As you’d expect from a place that was used as a quarry to supply stone for building in the Edo Period, the landscape has a rugged and wild beauty. Looking at the hydrangeas which bloom in the spaces between the jagged rocks, however, also produces a certain peace of mind. With other notable sights nearby, such as the Jigoku Nozoki (A Look into Hell) – a precipice which overhangs a 100 metre drop – it’s well worth a visit. This hydrangea spot also offers the opportunity to enjoy a view of Tokyo Bay sparkling in the evening, or Mt Fuji stretching out over the horizon. There is even a ropeway gondola lift for those would rather take it easy and skip the walking.

Best viewing: Mid to late June
Access: JR Uchibou Line, Hamakanaya Station (if using ropeway), Hoda Station (if going by foot)
Website: www.nihonji.jp/

Tokyo Summerland Ajisai-en (Akiruno, Tokyo)

Summerland may be famous for its pools, but it also offers many opportunities to enjoy nature and the outdoors. One of these is the Ajisai-en, or Hydrangea Garden, where around 15,000 hydrangea plants in 60 varieties grow on a gentle slope. Most hydrangeas are spherical, but here there is also the yae-kashiwaba hydrangea, which has an unusual cylindrical shape. In July, the Annabelle hydrangea blooms, and with its pure white petals it transforms the landscape into something not unlike a beautiful snow-covered mountain. The garden is also worth a look for the many varieties of hydrangea that you usually wouldn’t come across, such as the cho no tawamure, which has petals resembling a cluster of butterflies, and the seemingly star-studded ‘Hayes Starburst’. Every Saturday and Sunday, from Saturday June 12 to Sunday July 11, there will be 20-minute lectures (in Japanese) on hydrangea appreciation and the secrets of growing them.

Best viewing: Early June to early July
Access: Akigawa Station (JR Itsukaichi Line); from station there is a free bus to Tokyo Summerland
Website: www.summerland.co.jp/guide/familysports_ajisai.html

Ajisai Train (Hakone, Kanagawa)

This is the perfect choice for those who want to see hydrangeas without having to walk around: the incredibly well-known Hakone Tozan Railway Ajisai Train. This 36-minute trip on the quaint mountain railway takes you from the hot spring town of Hakone-Yumoto to the last stop, Gora. The train works its way up the steep incline using switchbacks, traversing back and forth along its course. Around 10,000 hydrangeas grow along the tracks, and as you get higher up the mountain it’s possible to see differences in how far the flowers have bloomed. The flowers will also be specially lit up in the evenings from Saturday June 19 to Sunday July 11. You can see the hydrangeas on the regular service, but it’s really worth trying to get a seat on one of the special evening trains, called Yoru no Ajisai-go. The train runs to the top and back only twice a day. A one-way adult ticket costs ¥600, and reservations are necessary. On the way, there is even the famous ajisai spot at Miyanoshita Station, which offers great photo ops, so this train is a fantastic chance to get your fill of this season’s hydrangeas in a variety of ways.

Best Viewing: Mid-June to mid-July
Access: Hakone-yumoto Station (Hakone Tozan Tetsudo Railway)
Website: www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/ajisai/