Shall we walk through this romantic wisteria tunnel?
Each spring, Japan is dyed pink thanks to the sakura . But beyond cherry blossoms , other flower festivals fill the Japanese lands with color and romance, like the one starring wisteria from april , a very common species in East Asia.
“ Wisteria have been prized by the Japanese since ancient times. There are written testimonies in major Japanese literary works, such as in the Kojiki (the oldest historical book on the history of Japan, dating back to the 8th century), the Manyoshu (collection of oldest poetry in Japan, written in the 8th century), in the Makura no Soshi or in the famous Genji Monogatari ", explains Hajime Kishi, Manager of the Japan National Tourism Office.
Purple, pink, pale violet... Blessed spring!
The lilac petals that adorn the branches of these spectacular trees are of such beauty that the Japanese - apart from using them in gardening and bonsai - they wanted to dedicate a festival in his honor from mid-April to mid-May . Where? In the ashikaga park , in Tochigi prefecture.
Although you can find wild wisteria in the woods , if you want to immerse yourself in this fantastic spring experience in the most bucolic way, the ideal place is the famous Ashikaga Wisteria Tunnel , where cascades of purple flowers adorn eighty meters of gallery.
General admission to Ashikaga Park costs from 7 euros for adults and 4 euros for children between the months of April and May. Although this hypnotic attraction is also found in other parts of the country, one of the most iconic being the tunnel of Kawachi Fuji Gardens , located in the city of Kitakyushu.
“Within the subspecies of Japan , we found **two types of wisteria (fuji in Japanese) ** : the Node Fuji , whose vines twist clockwise looking from above, and the yama fuji , whose vines turn to the opposite side, Hajime Kishi tells us.
Wisteria in Ashikaga Park
“Interestingly, the flower is theoretically edible. In Japan there are some restaurants specialized in tempura they use the petals in their dishes . However, the presence in these plants of lectins (proteins that bind to sugars) they can be harmful , so its use in the kitchen is quite limited,” he adds.
WHERE TO FIND THE MOST 'INSTAGRAMABLE' WISDIES?
There are endless places colonized by wisteria, but these coordinates will not leave you indifferent. Take note!
Japan is with the handsome uploaded
Ashikaga Flower Park: Great Wisteria Festival
Until the May 19 or, in this incredible orchard, the wisterias look spectacular both in daylight and at nightfall, thanks to a special lighting. Every spring more than 350 wisteria and 5,000 azaleas flourish in this dream destination.
Ushijima no Fuji
In the town where the naughty cartoon lives Shin Chan, Kasukabe , we can find the tokaen garden , famous for hosting the Ushijima Wisteria. The plants of this park, located to the east of tokyo , are considered as natural species of national interest, since they have an age of 1,200 years.
Kameido Tenjinsha Shrine
An idyllic spring postcard, with the sky tree tower as a backdrop, is what this garden gives us, which was built in honor of Sugawara no Michizane , an academic, politician, diplomat and 9th century Japanese poet that, after a conspiracy, was unjustly banished to the island of Kyushu. After his death, several shrines were erected in his name.
Wonderful!
Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Both this historic sanctuary and the adjoining Kasugayama Primeval Forest were declared Heritage of humanity by unesco . Located in the city of Naray built built 1,250 years ago, this temple is famous for the many lanterns that illuminate the enclosure , as well as the wisteria that adorns it between April and May.
KawachiFuji
Looking for the perfect photo? **Here is one of the most beautiful wisteria tunnels in Japan **. From the end of April to the beginning of May, you can contemplate the violet floral spectacle of this Kitakyushu City Private Garden , but if you travel to Fukuoka prefecture in autumn , it is also worth looking at the leaf coloration of its deciduous trees.
Wisteria have nothing to envy cherry trees