Horikiri Matsuri 堀切まついり

Ok, this is about a month late - Horikiri is famous for it's iris garden, "Horikiri Shobuen". Around mid-June they have a festival to celebrate the iris flowers.

This is what I love about living in Japan; you come out of the supermarket and find yourself in the middle of the neighbourhood festival. I used to live in Horikiri and I loved the laid-back atmosphere. People are chatty here; they'll pop out of their shop to say hello. There's nothing much to see, apart from the iris garden (which is lovely in all seasons - I've posted pictures of the wisteria there, before). There are a couple of good ramen shops and the usual collection of sembei shops around the station. Every morning, a few elderly ladies gather in front of the station with their vegetables. They carry them in boxes wrapped in lovely old fabric, tied to their backs like ad-hoc backpacks.

The festival is the same - everyone knows each other. There are about 6 different dance troupes and a taiko drum team. The local boy scouts provide "security" - a piece of string to separate the dancers from the onlookers. After the festival, there's a bit of a karaoke competition; the local oldies belting out enka songs from the front of the shrine.

The moral is, if you hear drums, a flute and drums, or calls of "wasshoi", just follow the sounds!

Waiting for the parade

Dancers with irises, getting ready.

Drummers

As I packed my grocery bags, I saw the drummers assembling.

Awa odori dancers

Happy feet

Sponsored by the local paper.

Late spring flowers

Azalea, wisteria, phlox...

Just before Golden Week (late April), a whole host of flowers burst into full bloom, sparking a frenzy of flower viewing. I travelled to Tatebayashi in Gunma prefecture, to see "shibazakura" - phlox, and "tsutsuji" - azaleas. Closer to home, Nezu shrine has a spectacular tsutsuji matsuri, Kameido shrine is famous for "fuji" - wisteria, and my old favourite, Horikiri Shobuen (most famous for its irises in late June/July) also has gorgeous wisteria and peonies.

In Tatebayashi, the newly revamped "The Treasures Garden" has carpets of pale pink, magenta and blue shibazakura, plus an English-style walled garden. It's a lovely place to walk around and they have THE BEST sakura flavour icecream! You can also buy potted plants to take home and honey made from local flowers.

Shibazakura at The Treasures Garden

That's the real colour - no enhancement needed!

There's also a "viburnum walk"

Getting there: we drove - it's about 30 mins from Omiya on the expressway. You can take a train to Tatebayashi station, then a taxi (about 10 mins) or you can walk from Morinji Station (about 15 minutes). Entrance fee is around 500 yen for adults.

Then we headed over to the famous azalea park, Tsutsujigaoka park, about 10 minutes drive away. It is VERY popular at the peak of azalea season, which falls at the beginning of Golden Week. Bus loads of old ladies were disgorging into the souvenir shops and tour groups were traipsing through the hills of flowers. It is spectacular, though: over 10,000 azalea trees - they're too big to be bushes - some of them are over 800 years old. I was also impressed that the toilet facilities were clean and new and had real, fresh flowers! There are lots of casual snack places to enjoy a beer and some yakitori or dango.

Flowers, as far as the eye can see

You can also take a mini river cruise, but it only goes in a circle.

Some of the older trees

Yay! Camera Ojisan!

Getting there:You can take a taxi or bus from Tatebayashi station. It's about an hour and a half by train from Tokyo on the Tobu Isesaki line. Entrance fee is around 300 yen at the beginning and end of the azalea season, and 600 yen at the peak.

Closer to home, I love Nezu Jinja any time of year (there are some great taiyaki shops nearby and you must try the karinto - sweet, fried cookies!). The Tsutsuji Matsuri starts about a week before Golden Week and there are lots of stalls selling yakisoba, takoyaki and grilled corn. A lot of women dress up in their spring kimono, which look lovely contrasted with the bright pink hills. It costs about 200 yen to enter the garden, but you can also just see it from the shrine grounds, for free.

Nezu shrine with red torii gates and a hill of azaleas with meandering paths, is lovely.

The image of wisteria flowers growing over a trellis is a classic in Japanese traditional art, and the most celebrated place to see it is Kameido Tenjin shrine (see my post about Kameido, here: http://minimeibutsu.blogspot.jp/2012/05/kameido.html) But for my money, the best place to go is Horikiri Shobuen, in Katsushika ward. It's just 15 minutes from Ueno on the Keisei line (ok, I'm biased - I used to live 5 mins walk from the park). For one thing, it's free, and on a weekday, you'll have the place almost to yourself. Grab a few onigiri from the shop near Horikiri station and enjoy your lunch sitting under the wisteria.

Wisteria at Horikiri Shobuen, a 10 minute walk from Horikiri station.