Posted May 2, 2016 by Jonelle Patrick2 Comments Awesome Stuff To Do

Where To See The Most Gorgeous Peonies In Tokyo

If you’ve never walked among peonies that stand shoulder-high, with flowers as big as your head, get thee to these Tokyo gardens right now and prepare to be amazed!

NISHIARAI-DAISHI TEMPLE

As you can see, it's not small! — As you can see, it’s not small!

Each bush is more beautiful than the last. — Each bush is pretty much more beautiful than the last. I recommend recording yourself saying “ooo!” “and “wow!” so you don’t get worn out saying it over and over.

There are several peony gardens dotted around the temple grounds, so don't stop exploring after you see the main one! — There are several peony gardens dotted around the temple grounds, so don’t stop exploring after you see the main one!

SaltJizo — Bonus attraction: The Wart Shrine

Admission: Free
Hours: 6:00 – 18:00
Map

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UENO TOSHOGU SHRINE

At this shrine near the pagoda in Ueno Park, each bush has its own umbrella to protect the fluffy goodness from the weather.

There are some amazing varieties here. — There are some amazing varieties here, and they have a LOT.

Check out these pointy beauties! Peonies for Goths. lol.

It's really pretty amazing. Well worth the few hundred yen it costs to get in. — It’s really pretty amazing. Well worth the few hundred yen it costs to get in.

Admission: ¥700
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00
Map

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HAMA-RIKYU GARDEN

Haha-rikyu's peony garden is always uncrowded, and laid out among orderly paths for easy picture taking — Hama-rikyu’s peony garden is always uncrowded, and the orderly paths make for easy picture taking

What better way to spend a nice spring day?

They have a lot of different kinds, and you can really get up close and personal because of the way they're planted. — They have a lot of different kinds, and you can really get up close and personal because of the way they’re planted.

Bonus: the rest of the garden is spacious and green, good for a long walk — Bonus: the rest of the garden is spacious, excellent for a long walk in the greenitude.

Admission: ¥300
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00
Map

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“Hauntingly beautiful, an instant immersion into feudal, wartime and modern Japan.” —Melissa MacGregor, author of The Curious Steambox Affair

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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had

Jonelle Patrick View All

Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!

2 thoughts on “Where To See The Most Gorgeous Peonies In Tokyo” ›

This past weekend was absolutely beautiful: cool, partly cloudy, no duty… And I could not, for the life of me, think of anything I wanted to do, so I just stayed in and played Dark Souls III. I’ll need to remind myself to scour your blog for ideas, just maybe not this week, what with it being all golden.

Speaking of, today, Constitution Day, is my birthday! And I filed the proper paperwork to have the day off! So I went to the Bandai museum in Mibu!

Which was FOUR hours away!

It was NOT worth it!

I’m a little bitter!

Disney at Sea was my first pick, but, again, Golden Week. I want to have fun and go sightseeing, but I’m not crazy.

Jonelle Patrick says:

May 4, 2016 at 12:44 am

Hey, happy birthday! And ahahahaha four hours! At least you had a quintessentially J-experience – no Japanese day trip is complete without getting on at least six different forms of transportation and traveling two hours for every half hour at your destination. I mean, you know that day I went from Akita to Fox Village to Tokyo? Taxi, bus, train, train, taxi, ONE HOUR AT FOX VILLAGE, taxi, train, bus, bus, airplane.

And IMHO, you really dodged a bullet by avoiding anything Disney in Japan. NEVER go to DisneySea by yourself. It’s like eating alone at a white tablecloth revolving view restaurant on Valentine’s Day. Trust me on this.

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