Continuing my series of hydrangea viewing spots , today I will introduce to you the most beautiful hydrangea viewing spots in Kyoto. And as usual, you can visit all of these places in the same day. Let's explore.
- Yoshiminedera (吉峰寺)
The first place I want to introduce is Yoshiminedera, an ancient Buddhist temple founded in 1029, located in the western part of Kyoto.
Address: Google Map
This temple is located in the mountains, far from the city center, so getting there may be a bit difficult. However, because it's away from the center, it helps avoid large crowds, giving you more space to admire the flowers and take photos.
To get there, first head to JR Mukōmachi Station, then take bus number 66 parked in front of the station. The bus ride takes about 30 minutes to the final stop, which is Yoshiminedera Temple. The first bus of the day is at 8:35 a.m., and buses run every hour. The last bus from the temple back to JR Mukōmachi Station is at 3:24 p.m. Please make sure to plan your departure and return times accordingly.
In my opinion, to visit multiple hydrangea spots in Kyoto in one day, you should start early with Yoshiminedera, then allocate time for the other places afterward. This way, you'll have enough time to enjoy each location.
This temple is located in the mountains, so the flowers often bloom later than usual. When I visited the temple on June 8, 2024, the flowers were just beginning to bloom. It is expected that the peak blooming period will be from June 15 onwards.
The campus of this temple is also extremely large, featuring many ancient architectural structures. Surrounding them are gardens filled with wisteria, hydrangeas, as well as ornamental plants and bonsai.
There are even a few red-leafed trees here, right in the middle of summer!
Hydrangeas at Yoshiminedera grow in abundance, clustered closely together, with many trees taller than a person’s head, making it extremely easy to take photos.
The flowers here come in three main colors: purple-blue, pink-purple, and light green.
In addition, since it is located on the mountain, we can easily see the city from above and take photos with hydrangeas like this.
Admission to Yoshiminedera is 500 JPY for adults and 200 JPY for children.
Rating: 9/10. The only downside is the long travel time. However, the space is quiet, with fresh air, the hydrangea garden is extremely large, the flowers grow tall, and it's very easy to take photos.
This temple is very close to Take no Michi – the second bamboo forest in Kyoto, a location I introduced in my previous post. If you have extra time, you can also visit it after exploring Yoshiminedera.
2. Mimurotoji (三室戸寺)
This is a Buddhist temple, established in 770, located in the northern part of Uji city, in Kyoto Prefecture. It is also known as the "Flower Temple," with tens of thousands of different flowers blooming throughout the seasons, such as cherry blossoms in spring, wisteria in May, hydrangeas in June, and lotus flowers in July and August.
Address: Google Map
In contrast to Yoshiminedera, Mimurotoji is very easy to get to. Simply take the train to Mimurodo Station, then walk about 10 minutes to reach the temple. Because of its accessibility, many people choose this as a place to visit and take photos with hydrangeas every June.
In front of the main hall, there are statues of cows and rabbits. It is believed that if you touch the stone ball inside the cow's mouth it will bring you luck.
In front of the main hall, there are also many pots of lotus flowers, all of which bloom between July and August each year.
Located within the same campus is a red three-story pagoda, dedicated to Amitabha Buddha. And finally, here are the best angles for taking photos of the hydrangeas at this temple.
The hydrangeas here are more varied in color compared to Yoshiminedera, with shades of red, pink, purple, white, blue, green, and more.
Located between the main hall of the temple and the hydrangea garden, you will pass through a traditional Japanese garden, featuring a classic setting with red leaves, bonsai trees, koi ponds, and more.
After passing through the Japanese garden, you will reach the hydrangea garden, which has a very large campus.
This garden has about 10,000 hydrangea flowers. The flowers grow in clusters and have many different colors. There are also many stone benches in the garden for people to rest and enjoy the scenery.
The time I went was June 9, 2024, the flowers here had just started to bloom, and were expected to bloom most beautifully from June 15.
Rating: 10/10. The campus is large, with diverse photography angles, many different seasonal flowers, and it's close to the train station, making it very convenient for transportation.
Admission is 1000 JPY for adults.
This temple is also very close to Byodoin Temple (the 10 yen temple) and the famous matcha village in Uji that I wrote about before. If you have some time left after sightseeing, you can walk to Byodoin. The walking time is about 15-20 minutes.
3. Kayabuki no Sato ancient village
Maybe not many people pay attention, but the ancient village of Kayabuki no Sato also has many photo views with hydrangeas.
Address: Google Map.
The villagers plant many hydrangea bushes right in front of their houses. Although not concentrated in a large area like the two locations mentioned above, you can still easily capture poetic scenes with hydrangea flowers and traditional old houses.
For how to get to the ancient village, you can review my detailed article about Kayabuki no Sato HERE .
Rating: 8/10: Peaceful atmosphere, can take pictures of flowers and ancient houses, however traveling by public transport is quite difficult and time-consuming.
4. Oike Street
Address: Google Map
Oike Street is just a simple street in the heart of Kyoto, but since mid-June, this place suddenly puts on a brilliant coat with both sides of the street filled with blooming hydrangeas.
And below are some portraits I took on this street:
Rating: 8/10: Located right in the city center, convenient for travel, suitable for portrait photography, few panoramic angles.
And above are the four places to see hydrangeas, which in my personal opinion are the most spacious and beautiful in Kyoto. I hope this article has provided you with some useful information. Stay tuned for my next articles about other hydrangea viewing spots. Thank you for reading to the end of the article.
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