榊 (Sakaki)

A Sakaki is a flowering evergreen tree native to warm areas of Japan, Korea, and China. It can reach a height of 10 m., has long, smooth, oval, leathery, green leaves, and has small, scented, cream-white flowers that bloom during early summer. In Japan, it is commonly used in Shinto rituals. An example of this is using it to make a tamagushi.

新潟県立植物園 (Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden)

The Niigata Kenritsu Shokubutsuen in Akiha-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata is a botanical garden and arboretum that contains a collection of cherry trees given by the prefecture’s town and cities, a conifer arboretum containing 300 varieties from Europe and North America, and a collection of aromatic herbs. It also contains substantial greenhouses, including a large dome with about 550 species total in arid, aquatic, and tropical zones.

石川県林業試験場 (Ishikawa Forest Experiment Station)

The Ishikawa-ken Ringyoshikenjo in Hakusan, Ishikawa is an arboretum and botanical garden which contains almost 800 species in areas including an azalea garden, camellia garden, cherry trees section, experimental areas, playground, a Japanese garden, wetlands, etc.

薄墨桜 (Usuzumi Cherry Tree)

The Usuzumi Sakura in Echizen, Fukui is one of the many old trees found on Mt. Sanri. It is about six hundred years old. According to legend, a long time ago, Ohto-no-oh had to part with his girlfriend to be appointed as Emperor Keitai in Kyoto. The blossoms’ color became lighter due to her sadness. This is why the tree is called Usuzumi, which means “almost colorless pink”.

広藤園藤まつり (Koto Garden Wisteria Festival)

The Koto Garden Wisteria Festival in Hekinan, Aichi is held from April to May. Here, visitors can enjoy the wisteria while drinking tea in tea ceremonies, which costs 500 yen including a Japanese snack. During the evenings, the wisteria are illuminated by paper lanterns.

八橋かきつばた園 (Yatsuhashi Kakitsubata Garden)

The Yatsuhashi Kakitsubata Garden at the Muryojuji Temple in Chiryu, Aichi is a water garden known for its iris laevigata garden since the Heian Period. It is also the place where the Japanese Poet Ariwara no Narihira wrote a poem in the Ise Monogatari using the five initial letters of Ka-Ki-Tsu-Ba-Ta.

愛西市, 愛知

東山動植物園 (Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens)

The Higashiyama Doshokubutsuen in Chikusa, Aichi is a zoo with botanical gardens open everyday except Monday. Established in 1936, it is one of Asia’s largest zoos, featuring botanical gardens and an amusement park. It contains more than 125 animal species and has a vast garden collection.

川西ダリヤ園 (Kawanishi Dahlia Park)

The Kawanishi Dariyaen in Kawanishi, Yamagata is a famous large dahlia garden, which opens to the public during Dahlia season, which spans from August to November. 

九华公园菖蒲 (Ayame Park)

The Kyuuka-Koen Ayame in Nagai, Yamagata is home to 31 varieties of rare old Nagai Iris plants that can be found nowhere else. It is a leading Japanese park boasting a total of 1 million iris plants representing 500 different varieties in all. Depending on the weather of course, these plants are in full bloom around the last week of June.

ひまわりの丘, 三本木町, 宮城

栗駒山 (Mt. Kurikoma)

The Kurikoma-yama is a dormant volcano straddling three prefectures: Miyagi, Akita, and Iwate. There is an abundance of diverse alpine flora in the wetlands near its peak as well as virgin beech forests home to many precious birds, insects, and other fauna. 

定禅寺通り (Jozenji-dori)

The Jozenji-dori in Sendai, Miyagi is a street lined with Japanese zelkova trees and is one of the symbols of Sendai being “The City of Trees”. It is a promenade containing a few sculptures and is a place of relaxation where events like the Sendai Pageant of Starlight and the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival take place.

400年前の桜 (400 year old Cherry Blossom)

The Koshidai-no-Sakura is a 400 year old sakura tree in Furudono, Fukushima. There is a spring beside it and it is said that whoever drinks the water from the spring will be granted a 100 year long life.