Hakusan Shrine Hydrangea Festival 2017 in Photos

The annual Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival, held at Hakusan Shrine, showcases over 3,000 blooming hydrangea shrubs. During the festival, visitors can enjoy food stalls, art exhibitions, and interactive events. If you’re in Tokyo in June, the Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival is a chance to experience a traditional Japanese festival and see a unique side of Japan.

My change of heart on hydrangeas

I used to be indifferent to hydrangeas. They just didn’t appeal to me, and I couldn’t quite say why. We just didn’t click. I photographed them mainly because I knew people wanted to see pictures of them in Tokyo. But after visiting so many hydrangea festivals over the years, they’ve started to grow on me (pun intended).

Vibrant blue hydrangeas bloom in front of a traditional Japanese temple gate under a bright, cloudy sky.

A cloudy day photo plan at Hakusan Shrine

I arrived at the festival later than planned, and to my dismay, it was cloudy. Blue sky only peeked through the clouds once or twice. As a photographer who despises grey weather, this was unfortunate, but a plan formed in my mind after I realised something.

A lush purple hydrangea bloom covered in raindrops, set against a soft-focus background of more flowers.

In the early days of my photography I only took photos on perfectly sunny days. I think many of us fall into that trap which can be problematic. While the sky might look good, the bright, direct light can be too harsh, making pictures overly bright and blowing out the details of the flowers. Clouds, though, act as natural diffusers, softening the light. That’s something to use for your advantage. As long as you don’t point your camera upwards, everything should look good.

Pink hydrangeas glisten with raindrops on lush leaves during the Hakusan Hydrangea Festival.

The other thing to think about is white balance. Some might have trouble with it under such conditions. But if you process your photos in an app like Adobe Lightroom you can change it to taste, so it’s nothing to worry about.

This approach made my time at Hakusan Shrine Hydrangea Festival 2017 well spent. My outlook on cloudy-day photography completely changed, and I had a blast capturing the hydrangeas. A weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I left feeling truly inspired.

Raindrops glisten on blue and white hydrangeas at a Hydrangea Festival, set against a backdrop of soft pink blooms.

Best places to shoot the Hydrangea Festival

There are three places to shoot the flowers:

Shrine steps and guardian dogs (komainu)

Hydrangeas fill a garden and the planters on the steps of the shrine around the guardian dogs (komainu).

A vibrant cluster of blue, pink, and white hydrangeas in wooden planters decorates a stone path in Japan.

Secret “Hydrangea Hill” (Ajisai-yama)

Near the shrine is a hill with many hydrangeas. It is locked most of the time but open to the public for a few days during the festival.

Rear playground and park area

At the rear of the shrine in a local playground. There are quite a few hydrangeas there, but the quality is as good as those at the front of the shrine.

Vibrant blue hydrangeas line a stone path as a visitor captures their beauty at a local festival.

The silver lining in the clouds

Overall, the day was a success. The clouds disappeared from my photos, allowing the flowers to shine. While this style of photography isn’t my specialty, I know that with time and practice, I can improve.

The Hakusan Shrine Hydrangea Festival is a beautiful event that every flower lover should experience. It’s best to visit in June when the hydrangeas are in full bloom. The weekends can get quite crowded, but the stunning floral displays make it well worth the trip.

Close-up of a vibrant blue hydrangea bloom with raindrops on dark green foliage.

Hakusan Hydrangea Festival FAQ

The shrine grounds are small but incredibly dense with flowers. You can find approximately 3,000 hydrangea plants blooming here during the festival season, creating a kaleidoscope of color.

You’ll see hydrangeas in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white. They come in two main types: the classic, ball-shaped variety and a flatter “lacecap” variety with a delicate ring of flowers around a central core.

The festival typically runs throughout June. For the best blooms, aim for mid-to-late June. To avoid the biggest crowds, try to visit on a weekday morning. Weekends can get very busy.

It’s a short 3-minute walk from Hakusan Station on the Toei Mita Line or a 7-minute walk from Hon-komagome Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. Learn more on the official Hakusan Shrine website.

No, the grounds are free to enter.

Takahata Fudoson, a temple in Tokyo’s west, has a hill covered with them.

Have you ever been to the Hakusan Shrine hydrangea festival? Share your experience in the comments below.

Hakusan Shrine Hydrangea Festival 2017 in Photos

My change of heart on hydrangeas

A cloudy day photo plan at Hakusan Shrine