Image search results - "ashikaga" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "ashikaga"

Ashikaga Flower Park is home to one of Japan's largest wisteria trellis and numerous wisteria trees/vines. Besides purple wisteria, it also boasts white and yellow wisteria. Entrance to the park..

Entrance to Ashikaga Flower Park is guarded by these yellow wisteria. Admission is a pricey ¥2,000 during the wisteria season from late April to early May. It's worth it during peak bloom.

If you're visiting during the wisteria's peak bloom, I highly recommend seeing this park. Breathtaking. Flower beds near the entrance.

Flower Stage

A semi-ring of chairs in front of the Flower Stage. The ceiling has light pink wisteria. うす紅の棚

Map of Ashikaga Flower Park. It's large, but compact enough to walk around and see everything. They also light up the flowers at night until 9 pm.

The main and spectacular attraction is this Giant Wisteria (大藤) on a expansive trellis.

Giant Wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga, Tochigi. The trellis is huge and the wisteria strands are long. Super awesome.

This wisteria tree is about 140 years old. It was transplanted here in Feb. 1996.

A small shrine under the Giant Wisteria.

The wisteria strands can be as long as 1.8 meters.

The Giant Wisteria extends over 36 meters by 33 meters. About the same as a large hotel ballroom or a whopping 600 tatami mats. The trellis was only 50 tatami mats when it was transplanted here.

Many wisteria trees decorate the park paths.

Usubeni Bridge (Light Pink Bridge) with a canopy of light pink wisteria. うす紅橋

Usubeni Bridge (Light Pink Bridge) with a canopy of light pink wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga, Tochigi. うす紅橋

Usubeni Bridge (Light Pink Bridge) with a canopy of light pink wisteria. うす紅橋

Tunnel of White Wisteria.

Tunnel of White Wisteria goes for 76.5 meters.

Tunnel of White Wisteria is one of a kind in the world at Ashikaga Flower Park.

About the Tunnel of White Wisteria.

The Tunnel of White Wisteria has wisteria trees planted on both sides.

White wisteria in the Tunnel of White Wisteria.

Exit/entrance of Tunnel of White Wisteria.

Yae-fuji wisteria trellis.

Yae-fuji wisteria trellis. Yae-fuji features more flower petals, making the flower look more like little balls. 八重藤

Yae-fuji wisteria features more flower petals, making the flower look more like little balls. 八重藤

Yae-fuji wisteria

Wisteria and azalea

Another focal point is this tunnel of yellow wisteria called Kibana-fuji. きばな藤のトンネル

Tunnel of Yellow Wisteria.

Yellow wisteria

Yellow wisteria at Ashikagae Flower Park.

I like to shoot red and white flowers in Japan.

Another massive flower display is this White Wisteria Waterfall. 白藤の滝

White Wisteria Waterfall. 白藤の滝

The other side of the White Wisteria Waterfall is also a sight to behold. 白藤の滝

White Wisteria Waterfall. 白藤の滝

This supposed to be a purple wisteria screen, but there was none.

Another large wisteria trellis. 大長藤

Another large wisteria trellis.

Yellow wisteria

Rhododendron forest.　しゃくなげの森

Rhododendron

Pruning the withered flowers.

Wisteria Dome 藤のドーム

Rest area お休みひろば

Path of azalea.

Ashikaga Flower Park, Tochigi.

Entrance to an area called the Sea of Azaleas. ツツジの海

Yet another large wisteria trellis, called Purple Wisteria Trellis. むらさき藤棚

Purple Wisteria Trellis. むらさき藤棚

Rhododendron

Floating Flower Pyramids 水上花壇

Margaret

The flower park also sells potted plants including wisteria.

Yellow wisteria selling for 4,000 yen.

Purple wisteria which finished blooming is sold for half price.

Hibiscus too.

Bougainvillea

Among the food booths was this ice cream stand selling wisteria ice cream for 350 yen.

Wisteria ice cream does taste like wisteria. It was good and not too sweet. 藤ソフト

Gift shop at the park entrance. When you enter the park, you enter here first (and last).

Wisteria kamaboko fish cake.

Wisteria noodles

The park's parking lot had many tour buses. Crowded even on weekdays during wisteria season. But fewer people in the late afternoon.

Ashikaga-shi Station on the Tobu Isezaki Line. It takes about 2 hours from central Tokyo. Connected to the Hanzomon Line. From April 2018, the JR Ashikaga Flower Park Station opened in front of the park.

Until April 2018, shuttle buses went from Ashikaga-shi Station to Ashikaga Flower Park. Bus fare was ¥300 one way, taking about 15 min. The bus leaves once an hour, but more often if there's a large crowd.0

At Ashikaga-shi Station, long line for the shuttle bus to Ashikaga Flower Park. This problem has been resolved with the new JR Ashikaga Flower Park Station.

At Ashikaga-shi Station on the Tobu Isezaki Line, there is the Ashikaga Tourist Information Office inside the train station, but it was closed. On the very day when tourists would arrive to see the warrior procession.

From Ashikaga-shi Station, cross this bridge over the river to central Ashikaga.

Sign near Bannaji temple saying that the warrior procession would start at 7 pm.

On the way to Bannaji temple, this statue of the Ashikaga lord.

Gate to Bannaji temple. It is actually an arched bridge.

Gate to Bannaji temple.

Behind the gate to Bannaji temple.

After going through the gate, there's this path to the temple hall. Now lined with food stalls during the festival.

Plum trees

Bannaji temple main hall. National Treasure built by Ashikaga Takauji's father. A rare example of a main temple hall from the Kamakura Period.

Carrying wooden boxes of beans.

At one point along the procession route (a major road), there was a rest station where they served free ama-zake (sweet sake). The hot drink warmed us up.

On Feb. 3, the Yoroi Toshikoshi Shuko festival is held in the evening with a warrior procession going to Bannaji. Start of the warrior procession consisting of local children, men, and women. The procession started at Orihime Kominkan. 織姫公民館

Since it is held at night in the middle of winter, dress warmly.

Going over the arched bridge at Bannaji temple.

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