Magical hydrangea garden in mobara, chiba

June marks rainy season in Japan and with that come the colorful blooms of ajisai (hydrangea in Japan). I coupled with my friend and traveled to two beautiful spots for annual flower viewing (because every flower in Japan has a dedicated festival, with posters notifying you of the best viewing location, dates and even what food will be served!) – Kamakura and Mobara. I’ve written about Kamakura before. It is a small town with rich historic and cultural heritage outside Tokyo. It has a beautiful coastline (you can even see Mt. Fuji from there!) and is dotted with numerous ancient shrines whose meticulously manicured gardens are a perfect respite from summer heat. Two of my favorite shrines are Hase-dera and Meigetsu-in Temple (a.k.a. Hydrangea Temple).

Although I haven’t yet been impressed with any garden as much as I was during our trip to in Chiba. A little unassuming and dormant Mobara city is home to one of the most stunning hydrangea gardens I have ever seen. A small family runs Hattori Farm – also called Hydrangea Mansion (for a good reason) – located on an edge of a pine-tree forest and takes care of the spacious garden filled with nothing but candy-colored hydrangeas – total of 10,000 bushes planted on site of 18,000 square meters. There is not a lot I can tell you about the place except that I felt I was transported into a fairytale far, far away from the clamor of the city and hustle of everyday life. Imagine perfectly symmetrical pine-trees, lush forest filled with beautiful plants, and rolling hills filled with endless bushes of colorful hydrangea. We spent over four hours frolicking this maze of pastel blooms and it still didn’t seem enough. I guess, in this particular instance, I should let the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy!