Japan’s most beautiful hydrangeas can be found in the many temples and shrines of Kamakura and Enoshima Island.

As summer draws near, you can feel the plants reaching towards the sun and putting out new leaves and blossoms. For lots of humans, the heat isn’t always welcome, but you can tell the plants are ready for the warmth and sunlight! So we might as well appreciate all the hard work they’re putting in.

In Japan, early summer means appreciating hydrangeas! The country is far more famous for its ubiquitous cherry blossom gardens, which blossom in spring and can be found drawing huge crowds all over the country. But their flower admiration doesn’t end with those dainty pink petals; the country’s beautiful hydrangea bushes also attract lots of attention, and one of the best spots for hydrangeas is Kamakura! We’ve mentioned before that you can charter a travel taxi to get you to the best flower viewing spots all over Kamakura and Enoshima Island, but no matter how you get there, it’s worth a trip!

Hasedera Temple
3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa
TEL: 0467-22-6300
Hours: 
 8:00-17:00 (March – September)
 8:00-16:30 (October – February)
Admission is possible until 15 minutes before closing.
Admission Fee: 
Adults: 400 yen / Children: 200 yen
Official Website

Meigetsuin Temple

189 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa
Hours: 8:30-17:00
Admission Fee: 500 yen

Jojuin Temple
1 Chome-1-5 Gokurakuji, Kamakura, Kanagawa
Hours: 8:00-17:00
Official Website

Engakuji Temple (円覚寺): Admire the Flowers without the Crush of People

The places we’ve mentioned so far are all great for seeing spectacular floral displays, and are certainly worth a trip for anyone willing to put up with the crowds of people. If you’re not sure you want to deal with that level of crowding, though, you might be interested to hear about Engakuji Temple! This temple has beautiful hydrangeas, lovely old temple buildings and courtyards, and (importantly) plenty of space to move around in.

Engakuji Temple
409 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa
Hours: 8:30-16:30
Admission Fee:
Adults: 300 yen / Children: 100 yen
Official Website

Enoshima Shrine
2-3-8 Enoshima, Fujisawa, Kanagawa
Hours: 8:30-17:00
Official Website

Kamakura is known for being such a scenic area that it’s constantly used a backdrop for momentous scenes in Japanese dramas, or as a setting for movies. It’s worth visiting year-round, but if you appreciate the beauty of bushes full of blooming flowers, then early summer is the time to go!

If you can’t resist the pull of all kinds of flower-viewing in Japan, or you happen to be here in another season, you can always go see cherry blossoms or curtains of hanging wisteria.

Be sure to look out for more exciting articles every day at JAPANKURU! 🐶
Or add us on Instagram and Facebook to share your pictures of Japan. 💖🗾

JAPANKURU