After my ajisai adventures in Kamakura, I decided to try my luck in Kanazawa. Kenrokuen, our most famous garden, shockingly has no hydrangeas! I didn’t go until late June, so I was a little late for iris season. However, I was able to capture this picture of a butterfly on one of the few remaining irises.
Dissatisfied with Kenrokuen (seriously, no hydrangeas?), I decided to try my flower-viewing luck at Utatsuyama’s iris garden (hanashôbuen, 花菖蒲園), which is located up the “mountain” (hill, really) of Utatsuyama, behind the Higashi Chaya-gai (東茶屋街).
What’s this? Some blue hydrangeas?
When you enter the garden (for free), there’s a fantastic aquatic section.
You can actually cross the wooden bridge to the other side, which is a path filled with hundreds of gorgeous hydrangeas.
I felt like Chihiro sneaking through the hydrangeas to meet Haku in Spirited Away.
Up the path from the aquatic garden is a terraced field of a variety of irises.
Sure, there are hydrangea bushes lining the roads by city hall and by the castle, but none of those spaces is quite as magical as the lush hanashôbuen, tucked away on its hill above the city.
How to get here:
The irises and hydrangeas are in bloom from mid-June through early July.
By car: there is free parking on site.
Public transit: from Kanazawa Station (金沢駅), take a Kanazawa Loop Bus to stop #6, Hashiba-chô Kôbanmae (橋場町交番前). Go into the Higashi Chaya-gai at Higashi Chaya-gai Mae (東茶屋街前) and head for the Utatsuyama Walking Path. Follow the signs for the Hanashobuen (花菖蒲園) up the hill.
By foot: in my opinion, the easiest option–it takes about 30 minutes to walk from the station, but you can stop to see Omicho Market, the castle, Kenrokuen, and/or the tea districts on the way. You can also bike this route and leave your bike in the bicycle lot by the river near the Asanogawa Ôhashi Kôbanmae (浅野川大橋交番前) lot to the right of the police station.
The Lobster Dance 
Beautiful~ I went to a lavender park the other day in the area. It all smelled nice and there was delicious lavender ice cream, but sadly we had jjjuuuust missed the high of their bloom. Still cool though~ I got a playing card deck with the local dialect written all over each card from the gift shop.
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Ohhh, I’ve never been to a lavender park! That sounds amazing. I did get some lavender buds on Kobe though; making tea and flavoring galette dough with them.
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I think this Tokyo hydrangea/iris lover may have to relocate to Kanazawa! 😉
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Kanazawa is pretty lovely. Have you visited before? I don’t recommend it in August, though–nothing blooms and it’s so hot!
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No, I’ve never been to Kanazawa, but if you continue with these flower posts, I just might toddle along. ^^ It can’t be hotter than this sweltering swamp called Tokyo, can it?
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Please do! It’s lovely here–probably less hot than Tokyo, even if the flowers aren’t out. October is a nice time to visit, too, with the weather starting to be less hot and rainy. ^^
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beautiful pictures Leah!
i confessed. i’m not a flower person but Japan is gradually turning me into one 🙂
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Thank you! I’ve always liked flowers, but Japan has made me more aware of their seasons and given me an appreciation for 花見–and not just for sakura!
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OMG this garden seems amazing. I am planning to go to Japan next April for the sakura of course, but I am really sad to realize I’ll miss iris blooming.
Do you think it can be interesting to go there anyway in April? Is there any other iris garden in Japan? Thanks for your help
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Utatsuyama and the nearby Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle, Higashi Chayagai, and Kazuemachi in Kanazawa all are fantastic places to enjoy the sakura! Kanazawa’s sakura tend to bloom a little later, around April 15-22.
As for irises, Rurousha has a list of iris gardens in Tokyo here: http://rurousha.blogspot.jp/2012/06/tokyos-best-iris-gardens.html
And I wrote a little about some in Kamakura here: https://odorunara.com/2012/07/02/early-summer-at-the-reno-of-kamakura-tokeiji-temple/
Thanks for reading and commenting! I hope you enjoy your trip!
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[…] accessible from Higashi Chaya-gai (tea district), is home to a number of gardens, including the iris garden I visited last summer. Last week, I hiked to the plum grove, which, in addition to […]
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