More Lotus Flowers Lotus season continues, and here are the best places to see lotus flowers, including rare varieties found nowhere else and a garden grown from 2,000-year-old seeds. Tell me more! • Lotus Festival at Sankei-en Garden Continues This must-see festival for lotus-lovers continues through early August. You’ll be delighted by the Sankei-en volunteers,ContinueContinue reading “Great things to do in August”
Category Archives: August
Hōkoku-ji Temple
The Bamboo Temple This Kamakura temple is a must-see for its towering bamboo forest, its exquisite garden-like grounds, and its teahouse, where you can enjoy a delicious bowl of mattcha while contemplating the gently-swaying bamboo. Lovely in every season, it’s a particularly welcome destination in the summer months when the bamboo dials the temperature downContinueContinue reading “Hōkoku-ji Temple”
Sankei-en Garden
Worth seeing in any season Sankei-en is a huge garden with many nooks and crannies to explore, including some famous historical buildings and a venerable cedar pagoda. It’s got respectable flower displays in every season, but the best time to be there is July and August, when it opens early for lotus flower viewing. ThisContinueContinue reading “Sankei-en Garden”
Korakuen Area
The Korakuen neighborhood is a great mix of venerable and modern entertainment, from the quirky thrills of Japanese baseball to a centuries-old stroll garden to an amusement park with a roller coaster that zooms right through a skyscraper. It’s an especially good place to go in June for the iris garden, anytime from April throughContinueContinue reading “Korakuen Area”
Yushukan Museum
The Yasukuni Shrine grounds are home to an extensive WWII museum, with a fascinating collection of artifacts, weapons and memorabilia from the Japanese side. It’s easy to spend a few hours here, especially if it’s hot or rainy outside. The Yushukan is arranged as a timeline that starts long before the war, detailing events inContinueContinue reading “Yushukan Museum”
TeamLab Planets
Planets is more sensory than the other digital environments TeamLab is famous for, so get read to encounter living plants, interactive mirrored scmoos and a wading pond stocked with digital koi and blooming flowers! It’s an especially nice escape from the heat and rainy days of summer. Come prepared to give up your shoes andContinueContinue reading “TeamLab Planets”
Kiyosumi Teien Garden
This garden is the most undiscovered jewel in Tokyo, and a stroll around its serene pond is calming at any time of year. Designed as a green oasis, there are still a few floral surprises hidden away. If you venture into the back garden in May, that’s where they keep the irises tucked away… ThisContinueContinue reading “Kiyosumi Teien Garden”
Yanaka Area
Cats are the unofficial mascot of Yanaka, one of the quirkiest (and undiscovered) Old Tokyo neighborhoods. It’s filled with traditional shops, shrines and temples, and is a must-visit in April, when the Nezu Shrine’s can’t-believe-your-eyes azaleas are in bloom. The shrine also puts on a lively celebration of New Year’s in January, and celebrates theContinueContinue reading “Yanaka Area”
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 