Known across Japan as the “Temple of Flowers,” Hasedera Temple in Kamakura becomes especially breathtaking in early summer. Around 2,500 hydrangeas representing roughly 40 varieties bloom across the hillside grounds, transforming the temple into a sea of soft blues, purples, and pinks.

The highlight is the famous Hydrangea Path (“Ajisai Road”), a scenic walking trail winding up the slope behind the temple. Along the way, visitors can spot four rare hydrangea varieties unique to Hasedera. As you climb higher, the view gradually opens up to reveal one of Kamakura’s most iconic scenes: colorful hydrangeas overlooking Yuigahama Beach and the town below. With ocean breezes drifting through the hillside, it’s an unforgettable early summer experience.

To help manage crowds during peak bloom season, Hasedera introduced an advance online reservation system for the Hydrangea Path. In past years, visitors sometimes waited several hours to enter during busy periods. Now, travelers can reserve a designated entry time through the official website starting in late May for smoother access.

Do note that the route includes around 80 stairs leading to the path, plus an additional 130 steps inside the course itself, with no ramp access available. Comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended. Even if you skip the paid trail, the temple grounds still feature plenty of beautiful hydrangea displays and potted flowers, making it easy to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of this historic temple.

During hydrangea season, Hasedera also offers limited-edition seasonal goshuin (temple stamps), making this an especially popular stop for goshuin collectors.

One of the Kanto region’s most iconic early summer experiences is riding the Hakone Tozan Railway through tunnels of blooming hydrangeas. Because the railway climbs more than 400 meters in elevation between Hakone-Yumoto and Gora, the flowers bloom gradually at different heights, extending the viewing season from mid-June into mid-July. During this time, the train is affectionately known as the “Hydrangea Train.”

The journey itself feels wonderfully immersive. Since the train moves slowly along the mountain tracks and passes extremely close to the flowers, passengers often feel close enough to touch the colorful blooms outside the windows. One of the most famous photo spots is near Deyama Station, where the railway’s dramatic switchback tracks create a stunning scene of bright red trains weaving through blue and purple hydrangea-covered slopes.

Starting June 13, 2026, Hakone’s reserved-seat seasonal train, the Night Hydrangea Train (“Yoru no Ajisai-go”), returns for another limited-time run. Designed specifically for nighttime flower viewing, the train dims its interior lights while slowing down or temporarily stopping at specially illuminated hydrangea areas along the route, allowing passengers to fully enjoy the magical atmosphere.

The train also makes special photo stops at stations such as Miyanoshita Station or Tounosawa Station, giving visitors time to step off and photograph the glowing train surrounded by illuminated flowers. For 2026, additional lighting has been added along the railway to create even more dramatic nighttime scenery. Passengers will also receive an exclusive original hydrangea-themed folding fan as a commemorative gift.

Perched dramatically atop the cliffs of Jogasaki Coast in Izu, NEW YORK LAMP MUSEUM & FLOWER GARDEN hosts one of the region’s most visually striking hydrangea festivals each summer. The garden features around 3,000 hydrangeas across roughly 200 varieties, including rare native species unique to the Jogasaki Coast area, such as “Jogasaki” and “Izu no Hana.” These historic varieties are especially prized for their elegant layered petals and are considered important parent strains for many modern hydrangea cultivars.

Another favorite highlight is the garden’s Annabelle Plaza, where around 100 giant white Annabelle hydrangeas bloom together in spectacular fashion, creating a dreamy scene that almost resembles fresh summer snowfall.

This year’s festival goes beyond flowers alone with the addition of the eye-catching Umbrella Sky installation along the Hydrangea Path. Hundreds of colorful umbrellas are suspended overhead, creating a vivid canopy above the blooming flowers below. Even on cloudy rainy-season days, the walkway becomes an incredibly photogenic spot filled with bright colors and playful atmosphere.

The garden has also introduced two new scenic photo spots overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The first is the 2.5-meter-tall Gate of Ocean Light, perfectly framed against the dramatic cliffs of Jogasaki Coast at the end of a staircase path. The second is the towering Ocean Swing, which rises around five meters high and lets visitors swing out toward the sea with panoramic views stretching toward Izu Oshima Island. Combined with the scent of hydrangeas and cool ocean breezes, it’s an unforgettable early summer experience.

Starting May 16, 2026, Moominvalley Park in Hanno, Saitama, will debut an expanded version of its magical Umbrella Sky & Hydrangea Path event. This year’s display is bigger and more immersive than ever, featuring around 1,000 hydrangeas lining the walkway into the park beneath a sky filled with colorful umbrellas inspired by Comet in Moominland.

As light rain falls, vivid red “Parisienne” hydrangeas and deep blue “Early Blue” blooms glow beneath the transparent umbrellas and fresh green surroundings, transforming the pathway into a dreamy fairytale landscape. One of the park’s signature areas, the Lakeside Flower Terrace, will also feature hydrangeas for the first time this year, including hidden Moomin-shaped floral displays scattered across the giant terrace, making it one of the park’s top photo spots for early summer.

To make rainy-season visits more enjoyable, the park has also expanded its indoor attractions. The newly renovated Emma’s Theater, reopened in March 2026, is now an all-weather venue equipped with a large roof canopy so guests can comfortably enjoy performances even during rainy weather.

Meanwhile, the immersive exhibition facility KOKEMUS continues to offer an in-depth look into the life and artwork of Moomin creator Tove Jansson. Starting May 16, visitors who shop inside the facility on rainy days will also receive a limited-edition rainy-season postcard while supplies last.

Starting June 6, 2026, Tokyo’s scenic Akigawa Valley will host the annual Akigawa Valley Hydrangea Festival, transforming the lush mountain landscape into one of the region’s most beautiful early summer flower destinations.

The festival centers around two very different but equally impressive hydrangea hillsides. The first is the beloved Minamisawa Hydrangea Mountain, a breathtaking hillside created over the course of 50 years by local resident Chuichi Minamisawa, who originally began planting hydrangeas to decorate the path leading to his parents’ graves. Today, the mountainside blooms with more than 15,000 hydrangeas across over 50 varieties, creating a deeply atmospheric landscape beneath towering cedar trees.

The festival’s second major highlight is the hydrangea area inside Wonderful Nature Village, famous for its spectacular Annabelle Snow Mountain. Here, countless white Annabelle hydrangeas blanket the slopes in waves of white, creating scenery that resembles summer snowfall. Visitors can hike the walking trails to panoramic viewpoints overlooking the mountains of Okutama and the clear waters of the Akigawa River.

This year, the festival is also collaborating with Seoto no Yu Hot Spring, winner of Japan’s top “Best Beauty Hot Spring” ranking, to offer special combination tickets. After spending the day hiking through hydrangea-covered mountainsides, visitors can relax in soothing hot spring baths nearby. Limited-edition discount booklets will also be distributed during the festival, featuring local gourmet food, BBQ deals, and other seasonal experiences around the valley.