June every year marks the transition from spring to summer in Japan, a time when sudden rain showers begin, the weather gradually warms up, and hydrangeas (あじさい – Ajisai) start to bloom. In today’s post, I will introduce you to the most beautiful spots to see hydrangeas in Nara Prefecture, Japan. And the best part is, you can visit all these locations in just one day. Let’s take a look!
- Hase Dera Temple
This is a famous Buddhist temple in Nara Prefecture with a very long history, and it has been a pilgrimage site since 686 AD. It shares the same name as the Hase Dera in Kamakura. This temple in Nara is incredibly famous for its peonies in the spring, hydrangeas in the summer, and red leaves in the autumn.
Địa chỉ: 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.
The entrance ticket is 500 JPY for adults and 250 JPY for children. You can pay with cash or an 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 beautiful depth, about 200 meters long, leading straight up to the hydrangea flower path.
In the middle of the slope, there is a museum displaying ancient Buddha statues and paintings dating back over 1000 years. Photography is prohibited in the museum, so everyone should visit and explore it on their own. It's a place not to be missed at Hase Dera.
Also along this slope, there is a cafe, lunch options, and Kimono rentals for visitors. The best part is that the Kimono rental price starts from only 2200 JPY, which is extremely affordable compared to the general price level in Japan.
And finally, the main area of this temple is a slope lined 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 the crowds, it's best to 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 point of the mountain, and inside, there is a giant statue of the eleven-faced Guanyin Bodhisattva (Juichimen Kannon). The statue stands about 10 meters tall 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-story stupa located to the right of the main hall.
The time to visit and take photos here is about 2 hours. You should aim to finish before 12 o'clock to ensure you can reach the next location on time.
2. Chùa Tsubosaka Dera.
The temple is known for its giant Buddha statue surrounded by dozens of cherry blossom trees, which I have written about before. However, when summer arrives, this temple also becomes an incredibly popular spot for viewing hydrangeas in Nara.
Địa chỉ: 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 directly to the temple gate. It's a good idea to check Google Maps to find the most convenient route for the time you plan to go.
The entrance fee to this temple is 800 JPY for adults (an increase of 200 JPY compared to the cherry blossom season), and it is cash-only. Please keep this in mind.
The day I visited was the first day of the hydrangea festival here, and it seemed like not many people knew about it, so there weren't many visitors. This made taking photos much easier for me.
Hydrangeas are decorated everywhere at the temple, especially around the giant Buddha statue.
A forest of flowers is placed on the second floor of the temple, an area where visitors 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, with the largest and most beautiful bloom expected to occur from early to mid-June.
After visiting and taking photos in this area, visitors can go to the higher floors of the temple to capture many other angles.
The photo of the Buddha statue was taken from the checkpoint.
In addition, visitors can climb to the top floor of the temple to take panoramic photos of the view below, as well as take additional photos with two other giant Buddha statues.
The last bus from the temple to the train station is at 4:05 p.m. Be sure to keep an eye on the time so you can catch the bus on time.
If you can't catch the last bus in time, don't worry, you can also walk to the nearest train station to the temple, Tsubosakayama Station.
Địa chỉ ga Tsubosakayama: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vwZAdapuxzqPTdiM8
And this marks the end of a day visiting two temples, known as the most beautiful spots to view hydrangeas in Nara Prefecture. I hope this article helps you easily plan the most reasonable schedule and discover the most beautiful photography angles at these two temples. Thank you for reading until the end of the article.
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