If you’ve caught flower fever after this spectacular sakura season, don’t worry – Wisteria season is just around the corner so get ready! Wisteria, known as fuji or ofuji in Japanese, bloom between mid-April and mid-May.

Japan is home to some of the best wisteria gardens in the world. As well as this, Japanese gardens and parks are so beautifully sculpted and often feature blooms throughout all seasons. So, do check out your local parks – you never know, you may come across some gorgeous wisteria!

Here are our tips on where to see wisteria in Japan; this list includes some of the most famous spots, such as Ashikaga Flower Park, as well as some hidden gems.

Mandara-ji Temple, Aichi

If you are looking for wisteria in Aichi, head north of Nagoya to Konan. Mandaraji park and temple contain beautiful grounds where you can enjoy the colourful blooms without the large crowds.

With 60 Japanese wisterias from 12 different varieties, Mandara-ji is a beautiful place to enjoy some of the wisteria in Aichi.

Getting there

Take the Meitetsu Inuyama Line to Konan Station. From there take the Meitetsu bus to the Mandaraji stop.

202 Teramachi, Maehibo-cho, Konan-City, Aichi Prefecture, 483-8336

Ashikaga Flower Park, Tochigi

Ashikaga Flower Park is one of the most famous wisteria gardens in the World. If you are looking for where to see wisteria in Japan, this is the most highly rated spot. Here you can find over 350 wisteria trees in bloom.

Ashikaga Flower Park holds a variety of different wisteria gardens and displays in the park. The Great Wisteria is made up of two Great Wisteria trees almost 160 years old, one of these trees covers nearly 1000 square meters! There is also a white wisteria tunnel, as well as a light pink wisteria bridge, a wisteria dome, a wisteria waterfall, and plenty more!

The pink wisteria bloom first, followed by the purple and white wisteria, and finally the yellow wisteria. This flower park holds a famous wisteria festival – The Tale of Fuji no Hana – which includes illuminations in the evenings, a popular wisteria soft serve ice cream, and various wisteria-themed omiyage.

Ashikaga Flower Park is located in Tochigi Prefecture, making it a popular day-trip destination from Tokyo. Admission is between 400 yen and 1800 yen depending on the blooming conditions and the time of the day.

Getting there

It’s about a 90-minute train ride from Tokyo. Take the Shinkansen to JR Oyama Station and from there take the JR Ryomo Line to Ashikaga Flower Park Station, this costs ¥4060. To save money you can also take local trains which will take around 2 hours.

607 Hasama-cho, Ashikaga-shi, Tochigi, 329-4216

Shirai Omachi Fuji Park, Hyogo

There is beautiful wisteria in Hyogo too! This large park is over 7000 square meters big and is located in Northern Hyogo, right by the border with Kyoto Prefecture.

Shirai Omachi Fuji Park is one of the best places to see wisteria in Hyogo. The beautiful pink, purple and white flowers in the wisteria gardens can be enjoyed against a backdrop of green mountains as well as a massive slope of daffodils also in bloom.

This park has been temporarily closed due to the pandemic, so please check the website for any changes.

Getting there

The admission fee is 500 yen.

Access is easiest by car. By JR train take the Sanin Main Line/ Bantan Line and get off at Wadayama Station.  From Wadayama Station it is a 12-minute taxi ride or a 30-minute bus ride.

1008, Wadayama-cho Shirai, Asago-shi, Hyogo, 669-5220

Tennogawa Park, Aichi

For more wisteria in Aichi, check out Tennogawa Park in Tsushima City. The park is famous for its impressive wisteria-covered pergola.

At Tennogawa Park, you can enjoy sights of wisteria in Aichi reflected in the waters of Maruike. A festival is held each year with illuminations, food, and music, to celebrate the wisteria in Aichi.

Getting there

Free admission.

The park is a 20-minute walk from Tsushima Station, which can be accessed from Nagoya Station via the Meitetsu Tsushima Line.

1, Miyagawa-cho, Tsushima-City, Aichi, 496-0853

Kawachi Fujien, Fukuoka

Anyone searching for where to see wisteria in Japan should definitely consider the wisteria in Fukuoka.

Kawachi Fujien is filled with the most beautiful wisteria in Fukuoka. This botanical garden located in Kitakyushu completely transforms in mid-April when the wisteria begins to bloom.

The highlight of this wisteria in Fukuoka are two 100-meter long wisteria tunnels filled with a colourful spectrum of blooms. There is also a vantage point in Kawachi Fujien that allows you to see the carpet of wisteria from above.

Wisteria in Fukuoka blooms slightly earlier than the wisteria in Hyogo, Aichi, and Tochigi due to the warmer climate!

Getting there

Admission can vary between 500 yen and 1500 yen depending on the condition of the blooms. Reservations must be made in advance.

During the peak wisteria season, a shuttle bus runs between JR Yahata Station and Kawachi Fujien.

2 Chome-2-48 Kawachi, Yahatahigashi Ward, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 805-0045

Byakugo-ji, Hyogo

This temple is another beautiful spot where visitors can enjoy wisteria in Hyogo. Byakujo-ji Temple, not to be confused with the temple of the same name in Nara, is located in Tamba, close to the border with Kyoto prefecture.

Baykugo-ji is home to some of the most breathtaking wisteria in Hyogo. The Byakugo-ji Wisteria Festival is held each year in early May, where visitors flock to the wisteria gardens to enjoy the 120cm-long wisteria clusters, draping like a waterfall. If you are wondering where to see wisteria in Japan, please check out the stunning sight of these wisteria trees when illuminated at night.

Getting there

The closest station is JR Ichijima Station, from there it is an 8-minute taxi ride to the Byakugo-ji.

709 Byakugo-ji, Ichijima-cho, Tanba-shi, Hyogo, 669-4334

This list includes famous spots for wisteria in Fukuoka, Aichi, Hyogo, and Tochigi, but there are plenty of other places all across Japan where you can enjoy these mystical blooms. Please head out and enjoy the adventure!