June every year is the time of transition from spring to summer in Japan, the time when sudden showers begin, the weather gradually heats up, and is also the time when hydrangeas bloom. And in today's article, I will introduce to you the most beautiful places to see hydrangeas (あじさい – Ajisai) in Nara province, Japan. And especially, you can go to all these places in just one day. Let's read together!
- Hase Dera Temple
This is a famous Buddhist temple of Nara province, with an extremely long history, and has been a pilgrimage site since... 686 AD. Has the same name as the pagoda Hase Dera in Kamakura, this temple in Nara is extremely famous for its peonies in spring, hydrangeas in summer, and red leaves in fall.
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BJfPzoB5yfsAcxEX6
The closest train station to the temple is Hasedera Station on the Kintetsu-Osaka line.
After arriving at Hasedera station, you walk about 1km to the temple.
Entrance ticket is 500 JPY for adults, 250 JPY for children, you can pay in cash, or IC Card.
Right at the entrance of the temple, there is a long slope with a very ancient wooden roof. Everyone can stop here to take photos.
The slope has a very beautiful depth, about 200 meters long, leading straight up the hydrangea flower path.
In the middle of the slope, there is a museum displaying ancient Buddha statues and paintings dating back more than 1000 years. Photography is prohibited in the museum, so everyone should come here to explore for themselves. A place not to be missed in Hase Dera.
Also on this slope, there is a cafe, lunch, and Kimono rental for people to visit. Especially, Kimono rental price is only from 2200 JPY, extremely cheap compared to the general price level in Japan.
And finally, the main location of this temple, is a slope with hundreds of blooming hydrangeas.
Let's see some colors of hydrangeas here:
Red, pink, blue.
White mixed with pink.
Purple mixed with white.
White pink
This slope is also an ideal spot for taking photos. However, to avoid crowding, people should go early. The temple's opening hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The main hall of the temple is located at the highest area of the mountain, inside there is a giant statue of the eleven-faced Guanyin Bodhisattva (Juichimen Kannon). The statue is about 10 meters high, and is one of the largest wooden statues in Japan.
The entrance ticket to visit this giant statue is 1000 JPY, tickets are sold at the temple entrance or in front of the main hall.
Some pictures outside the main hall of the temple:
This temple also has a 5-storey stupa located to the right of the main hall.
Time to visit and take photos here is about 2 hours. You should finish before 12 o'clock to get to the next location on time.
2. Tsubosaka Dera Temple.
The temple is known for its giant Buddha statue located among dozens of cherry blossom trees, which I have written about before. But when summer comes, this temple is also an extremely famous hydrangea viewing spot in Nara.
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ewDeVR2kkepVvSTJ7
From Hasedera station, take the Kintetsu-Osaka line to Yamato-Yagi station or Kashiharajingu-Mae station, then take the bus straight to the temple gate. You should search on Google Map to know the most convenient route at the time you want to go.
Admission to this temple is 800 JPY for adults (an increase of 200 JPY compared to cherry blossom time), and Payment in cash only. Everyone please pay attention.
The time I went was the first day of the hydrangea festival here, and it seemed like everyone didn't know this information so there weren't many people coming to visit, making taking photos a lot easier for me. much.
Hydrangeas are decorated everywhere at the temple, especially around the giant Buddha statues.
A forest of flowers is placed on the second floor of the temple, an area where people can stand and take photos with the Buddha statue.
Let's see some pictures I took in this area:
The flowers here are still blooming, the largest and most beautiful blooming time will start from early to mid-June.
After visiting and taking photos in this area, people can go to the higher floors of the temple to take many other angles.
The Buddha statue photo was taken from the check point.
In addition, people can climb to the top floor of the temple to take panoramic photos below, as well as take additional photos with two other giant Buddha statues.
The last bus time from the temple to the train station is 4:05 p.m., everyone remember to pay attention to the time so you can get on the bus on time.
If you can't catch the last bus in time, don't worry, you can also walk to the train station closest to the temple, Tsubosakayama station.
Tsubosakayama station address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vwZAdapuxzqPTdiM8
And this is the end of a day visiting two temples known as the two most beautiful places to view hydrangeas in Nara province. Hopefully this article will help you easily plan the most reasonable schedule, as well as know the most beautiful photography angles of these two temples. Thank you for reading to the end of the article.
Don't forget to Follow me on Instagram ( travel.w.minh_photo ) or Subscribe to receive notifications every time I have a new article.
***************************************************************************************************************
Explore our useful services in Japan:
- Taking photos of individuals, couples, and families in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara: See more HERE
- Plan and schedule your trip to Japan: See more HERE
- eSim data, pocket wifi travel in Japan: See more HERE
***************************************************************************************************************
*** Please read the requirements carefully Copyright & Collaboration before copying or quoting blog content and images. Thank you.