Wisteria Trees Make Spring the Most Magical Time to Be in Japan

 

Photo: Torsakarin/Depositphotos

The time between the middle of April and the middle of May is a magical time to be in Japan. It’s when the wisteria trees are in full bloom, and their beautiful vine flowers—some more than 30 feet long—transform otherwise ordinary places into fairytale locales.

It’s impossible to mention wisteria trees without celebrating the country’s most famous—and breathtaking—of the bunch. Located in the Tochigi prefecture's Ashikaga Flower Park, there is a massive wisteria tree that is over 150 years old. When in bloom, its long vertical flower clusters (also known as racemes) form a canopy to immerse you in a delicate purple world. That's not all the park has to offer, though. It has more than 350 different wisteria trees and a wisteria tunnel that you can walk underneath.

The flowers of this beautiful tree vary in hue. Although purple is perhaps the most well-known color, the species can have white, pale pink, or even yellow blooms. It’s all the better reason to visit as many parks as possible during this short window in spring. But if that’s not in the cards for you now, you can get a lot of enjoyment from photos, too. Scroll down to see the wisteria’s beauty captured in images.

Wisteria trees are some of the most beautiful flowering trees in the world.

Every spring, Japan comes alive when these trees bloom.

One of the country's most famous wisteria trees is located in the Tochigi prefecture's Ashikaga Flower Park. It's 150 years old.

The flowers of this beautiful tree vary in hue. It’s all the better reason to visit as many parks as possible during this short window in spring.