
From the middle of June to the middle of July is the rainy season in Japan.
You might think as it is no-good season for travelling because of cloudy
weather, high humidity and high temperature days continue.
If you think so, that's wrong! Because of beautiful hydrangea [紫陽花 (Ajisai)]
flowers with various colors and shapes are bloom during the season.
Hydrangea flower is a symbol of rainy season of Japan. The typical color
of flowers are blue, purple and pink, but it is easy to selective breeding,
various colors and form of flowers rapidly increasing in recent years.
Especially in Kamakura, hydrangea flower is as same as or much popular
than cherry blossom. Large number of tourists visit the temples and shrines
in Kamakura that is known as hydrangea flower sightseeing spot everyday
during the season. Because of overcrowded with too many people, Enoden
Line train may be delayed on the weekend of this season.
Here we'll guide you some famous and popular spots for seeing this hydrangea
flower that colors the rainy season of Japan.
Hasedera Temple [長谷寺] is one of the most famous tourist spot in Kamakura. It is not exaggeration to say that hydrangea flowers makes this temple famous for a nation-wide level.

Hasedera Temple has a small mountain trail in upper precincts. There are
more than 2,500 hydrangea trees and some flowers invented by the temple
is also included among them.
A great number of people visit here as soon as open the gate every morning,
to go and see the the trail.
In particular on the weekend, it is necessary to wait more than 3 hours
to enter here. Numbered ticket for enter to the trail may be distributed
by the temple in some cases.
This "Hydrangea Path" of Hasedera Temple is a top must-go place,
when you visit Kamakura on June and July.

The entrance of this hydrangea flower trail is on the left and back, facing
on the front of the main temple building (Kannon-do Hall). There are no
additional charge to see here.
When you climb steep and thin handmade stairs, you can see the buildings
of the temple on your left and innumerable flowers of hydrangea on both
side of the trail.
Small Buddha statues and stone lanterns are placed to be buried among flowers
here and there. It is necessary more than 30 minutes to walk and see all
of this trail when it is crowded.
[How to get there]
- From Hase Station of Enoden Line, turn right in front of the station and
go straight for a while.
- Then, you will arrive at the intersection with a wide road on your right.
- Turn left and go straight the road to the end. Here is the entrance of
Hasedera Temple.
More detail guide of
Hasedera Temple here.

Another famous hydrangea flower spot is locating next to Hasedera Temple.
This
Kosokuji Temple is known as a "Temple of the flower in Kamakura" and also one
of the hydrangea flower spot in Hase.
There are more than 200 kinds of various hydrangeas in the precincts of
small temple.
[How to get there]
- From Hase Station of Enoden Line, turn right in front of the station and
go straight for a while.
- Then, you will arrive at the intersection with a wide road on your right.
- Turn left at 2nd road of at the intersection and go the gentle uphill slope
until the dead-end. Here is Kosokuji Temple.
More detail guide of
Kosokuji Temple here.
Goryo Jinja Shrine becomes popular flower spot in recent years. Around
100 hydrangea trees are planted on the sidewalk along with railroad and
around the railroad crossing that is a entrance of the shrine.
Here was a secret place to the people in the know, but came to be known
that could see a train together with beautiful flowers by photographers.
In other places in the precincts, there are many hydrangea trees too.
[How to get there]
- From Hase Station, cross the road in front of the station and go right
until the road next to Shugenji Temple [收玄寺].
- Turn left to go this road then turn left again at the end of the road.
- There is a unpaved alley on your right, go straight the alley until a stone
Torii gate. Here is Goryo Jinja Shrine.
More detail guide of
Goryo Jinja Shrine here.

Gokurakuji Temple is famous for row of cherry trees. But also popular spot of hydrangea flowers together with Jojuin Temple in the neighborhood.
Gokurakuji Station of Enoden Line is also good to see the flower. Potted flowers are displayed inside and outside of the station. In addition, very many flowers bloom on the slant just opposite of the station.
From the railroad crossing near Ryukoji Temple to intersection near Katase
Higashihama Beach, many hydrangea trees planted in the roadside. Here is
the place where colorful hydrangea flowers and Enoden trains are seen together.
There is some hydrangea trees that bloom dark purple flowers in the alley
on the way to Nishiura Cove in Enoshima Island.
Here is not famous flower spot, but the flowers are big and is worth seeing.
And it is possible to see fantastic Mt.Fuji from Nishiura Cove, if the
sky is clear.
You should drop in if you have time.
[How to get there]
- Pass through the green bronze Torii gate and climb the slope of Nakamise
Street.
- On your right side of the middle of the slope, there is a very small alley between Harumi Shokudo restaurant and Iwamotoro Ryokan hotel.
- Go straight the alley to the end and down the stair, here is Nishiura Cove.
More detail area guide for
Nishiura Cove and Nakamise Street.

Around Enoshima Jinja Shrine, there are 2 hydrangea flower spot.
Beside of Zuishinmon tower gate, there is some hydrangea trees and able
to see the flowers with Red Torii gate, Just like a Japanese landscape,
if you look back.
Another flower spot is in the bypass stairway between the Red Torii gate
and Nakatsunomiya Square. Several hydrangea trees are planted side by side
along the stairs here.
[How to get there]
- Go up the slope of Nakamise Street to the big Red Torii gate.
- Then, go up stairway of the tower gate. You will find some flowers on our
left.
-
- Another spot is located outside of the precincts of the shrine. If you
are from Enoshima Jinja Shrine, go to direction for Nakatsunomiya Square.
- When you pass through the dark brown Torii gate and down few stairs, there is a downstairs on your left. The flower blooms there, too.
More detail guide of
Enoshima Jinja Shrine here.
Hydrangea trees are also planted outside of
Kamegaoka Square, the highest place of Enoshima Island. There are some trees also around
the entrance gate of Samuel Cocking Garden.
In
Oiwayamichi way, that connecting the square and Okutsunomiya Jinja Shrine, hydrangea trees
are planted in places along the way, also you can find some of them in
the steep cliff from the stairs at Yama-futatsu valley.
Around
Okutsunomiya Shrine is like a garden and many kind of plants are planted, and one of them
is hydrangea. Perhaps, here is the best hydrangea flower viewing spot inside
of Enoshima Island.
In the right back of the shrine building, there is a really short trail, but many flowers bloom densely here. It is not magnificent as the one in Hasedera Temple in Kamakura, but don't miss it if you come here. Also next to the shop opposite the shrine, hydrangea trees are planted to surround a stone lantern.
Beside this, some big hydrangea trees are planted on the way to Ryuren
no Kane.