JUNE

 Click on Tell me more to read about the event, then use the search term plus the year to find out exact dates and times for when you’re traveling

The first week of June is still a fantastic time to gaze at purple seas of iris, including those in a secret garden that’s only open to the public during iris season. Here are the the best iris gardens in Tokyo.

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Not only is a day trip escape to Mt. Takao a pleasant only-in-Japan thing to do in the steamy months of June – August, there’s an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink beer garden at the summit in the summertime. (And Mt. Takao isn’t the only beer garden in town – there are a ton of excellent options right in Tokyo on rooftops and parks if you do a search!)

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Search term: takao beer garden; tokyo summer beer garden

I never thought much about hydrangeas until I came to Japan, where there are giant gardens bursting with thrillingly colored blooms. June is when to see the best hydrangea gardens in Tokyo.

And here are the other places I take my friends when they come to town

Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had