June is Hydrangeas Season in Japan

    Speaking of a famous flower in Japan, it is cherry blossoms, "Sakura: 桜." But there is a popular flower other than cherry blossoms. It is hydrangeas, "Ajisai: 紫陽花." It is in bloom in June, Japanese rainy season. I'm looking forward to see hydrangeas every year. Of course, it is beautiful in sanny day. But I think it is more beautiful in rainy day. Hydrangeas with rain drops are very beautiful. I like to hear the rain sound while seeing hydrangeas. I feel calm in quiet atmosphere. 

    Hydrangeas are seen everywhere in June. But if you want to see beautiful hydrageas scenery, you should go hydrangeas spots. There are famous hydrangeas spots all over Japan, for example, parks or temples and so on. But I recomend that you see it in temples. Because the scenery of temples with hydrangeas is very calm and beautiful. We can see traditional Japanese scenery. I introduce you to famous hydrangeas temples as follow. 

Tanshuu-Kannonji: 丹州観音寺 in Kyoto

Meigetsu-in: 明月院 in Kamakura

   There are traditional stories why many temples have hydrangeas. One is as follows. Long time ago, when medlical science didn't develop, many people were sick and dying by a big change in temperature in rainy season, June. Because of this, many temples planted hydrangeas to mourn their soul. 

    Another story is as follows. There is a kind of the hydrangeas, "Amacha: 甘茶." "Amacha" means sweet tea. We can make sweet tea from Amacha leaves. (But hydrangeas leaves have poison. We must be careful that.) When buddha was born, buddha took a bath poured special sweet liquid that was from the mouth of the dragon that has nine heads. The buddhists have an event on the buddha's birthday, April 8th. They pour "Amacha" instead of special sweet liquid to a statue of birth buddha in a small hall decorated flowers at the event.

    From these reasons, it is told temples have a lot of hydrangeas. Additionaly,  hydrangeas grow easily. That was also one of the good points.

This is "Amacha." 

the statues of birth buddha

    Actually, hydrangeas became popular after World War Ⅱ. Then it came to be planted in temles and so on. Therefore we don't know about whether these stories are true or not. But I like hydrangeas even more after knowing about that.   


<About Kinds of Hydrangeas>
   Original hydrangeas are these types called "Yama-Ajisai", "Gaku-Ajisai."
Generally, the hydrangeas we image are called "Hon-Ajisai."  It was developped as a ornamental flower and has a round shape. The hydrangea, Hon-Ajisai, looks as if many flowers gathered. But these are not flowers but calyxes. The flowers are covered by them. 

Hon-Ajisai

   Original hydrangeas have a different shape from round shape one.  We can see many tiny flowers. They have flowers in the center and calyxes are around flowers. About one of the original hydrangeas, "Gaku-Ajisai", "Gaku: 額" means a frame. The calyxes surrouding tiny flowers look like picture's frame. Therefore it is said the hydrangeas came to be called "Gaku-Ajisai." About "Yama-Ajisai", it is smaller but wilder than Gaku-Ajisai. "Yama: 山" means mountains. Yama-Ajisai grow naturally in mountains. Both of them are very similar. Honestly, I can't distinguish them when I see only flowers.

Gaku-Ajisai

Yama-Ajisai

    Do you know that hydrangeas color changes by soil? It is said they become pink when soil is alkaline, neutral and become blue when soil is acid. In addition, white one is not affected by soil. Take pink one for example, soft pink, strong pink, deep pink and so on, we can enjoy many colored hydrangeas. If you come to Japan in June, please enjoy hydrangeas too. I think the hydrangeas best season is around mid-June.