Japan is home to some of the world’s best wisteria gardens, such as the Kawachi Wisteria Garden, picked as one of Japan's 31 Most Beautiful Places by CNN. This article will introduce three of Japan’s most famous wisteria gardens, which peak from early April to early May, together with some fantastic local restaurants nearby.
Appreciating Spring: Japanese Flower Viewing Culture
Hanami was originally a pastime for nobles, tracing back to literature from over 1,200 years ago. It wasn't until the 17th century that it became widespread among the general public. The shogunate's support of the custom is evident in the many cherry trees planted throughout Tokyo, giving birth to hanami spots that continue to attract crowds to this day.
Alongside cherry blossoms, April in Japan is also the time for rapeseed, tulips, moss phlox, and azaleas, each taking turns to peak as the weather warms up. If you’re visiting Japan during this period, be sure to find and appreciate these wonderful flowers.
More Than Just Cherry Blossoms! When to See Stunning Wisteria in Japan
Wisteria blooms in delicate, drooping clusters, with petals resembling dainty butterflies. To showcase their beauty, the decorative flowering branches are often arranged on trellises, forming whimsical cascades.
Image: Ashikaga Flower Park
The Best Wisteria Gardens in Japan By Region
Below are three of Japan’s best wisteria gardens in the Kanto, Kansai, and Kyushu regions.
Kanto Region: Ashikaga Flower Park (Tochigi Prefecture)
The Ashikaga Flower Park boasts an extraordinary collection of more than 350 wisteria trees spread over 1,000 m2 of grounds. Highlights include the magnificent 160-year-old Grand Wisteria and an otherworldly 80-meter-long white wisteria tunnel. Between mid-April and mid-May, the wisteria blooms sequentially from pale vermilion into purple, white, and finally yellow.
CNN selected the Ashikaga Flower Park as one of its dream destinations in 2014—the only place in Japan to receive such an honor—comparing its Grand Wisteria to Avatar's Tree of Souls. Illuminations also light up the park from late April to mid-May.
Image: The Grand Wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park.
Founded in 1052, the World Heritage Site of Byodoin Temple is graced by beautiful wisteria from late April to early May. Visitors can witness four wisteria trees, each about 300 years old, blossoming near the Amida-do Hall, a designated National Treasure. The flower clusters draping down the trellises grow up to a meter long!
The Amida-do Hall, also known as the Phoenix Hall, as it is said to resemble a phoenix with outstretched wings, is depicted on the Japanese 10 yen coin, and provides a stunning backdrop to the wisteria.
Image: The Wisteria Tunnel at Kawachi Wisteria Garden
The Kawachi Wisteria Garden was included in Japan's 31 Most Beautiful Places by CNN in 2015. The best time to visit the garden is from late April to mid-May, when 22 species of wisteria burst into full color across the 3,000 m2 property, smothering the grounds with their alluring fragrance.
The main attractions are the two wisteria tunnels, which stretch 80 and 110 meters long. Visitors are immersed in a gradient of colors from pale violet to white and pink as they walk through them.
*The garden's opening period is subject to change each year, so be sure to check the official website before visiting.
*To prevent overcrowding during the wisteria season, visitors are asked to book tickets in advance during a designated period. Please check the official website for details on ticket requirements and purchasing.
The Best Restaurants Near Wisteria
Amateur Cuisine Obanzai Mamanchi (Ogura / Japanese cuisine)
Obanzai is a style of Kyoto home cooking. Before modern transportation, fresh seafood was hard to come by in Kyoto, so locals adapted their diet around dried foods, tofu, fresh seasonal vegetables, and foraged greens, evolving into a unique cuisine inspired by Zen Buddhism.
Amateur Cuisine Obanzai Mamanchi specializes in authentic Kyoto obanzai in a casual atmosphere. Signature dishes include [Suji-Nikomi], which is stewed beef tendon with a spicy kick, and [Shishito-no-Taitan], which are simmered shishito peppers, similar to green bell peppers.
Amateur Cuisine Obanzai Mamanchi
Closed: Monday,Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY
Access: 1-minute walk from Ogura Station on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line
Address: 78-3-C-1, Nishiura, Ogura-cho, Uji-shi, Kyoto Map
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Gluten-Free Kushikatsu Kiwami (Kokura / Kushiage & Kushikatsu)
Gluten-Free Kushikatsu Kiwami offers an assortment of crispy kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) made using rice flour. Signature dishes like the [Rice Flour Kushikatsu] and [Chicken Karaage] (528 JPY) are prepared using rice oil and a special brand of certified gluten-free rice flour called Yanokuni Pure Rice Flour, which is produced in Tabuse, Yamaguchi Prefecture. As per its name, the restaurant’s entire menu is gluten-free.
Most of the kushikatsu are just 242 JPY each, and there are some unique options like [Mentai] (spicy marinated cod roe), which is a specialty of Fukuoka. The ingredients are also dipped in egg-free batter to accommodate those with sensitivity to eggs as well as wheat.
The menu includes a wide selection of alcoholic beverages like beer, shochu, wine, and sake, but the best match for kushikatsu is the highball, a whiskey-based carbonated cocktail. The light and crispy kushikatsu pairs perfectly with the refreshing highball taste.
The restaurant has a relaxed ambiance, with both counter seating and traditional Japanese-style tables with sunken floors, making it comfortable for those who find it difficult to sit directly on the floor.
Getting to the restaurant is likewise a breeze, being just a 15-minute ride on the JR Kagoshima Main Line from Yahata Station, near the Kawachi Wisteria Garden, to Kokura Station, the closest station to the restaurant.
Gluten-Free Kushikatsu Kiwami
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 4,000 JPY
Access: 7-minute walk from the Kokura Station Exit or the Kokura Castle Exit (South Exit) of JR Kokura Station
Address: 1F, Smile Kyomachi Bldg., 3-11-17, Kyomachi, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka Map
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