If you didn’t catch any cherry blossoms this year, never fear: Japan’s wisteria season is nearly here, and there’s still enough time to plan a trip before the big bloom.
Japanese wisteria is a flowering plant with cascading blossoms that can grow up to three feet or longer. The flowers bloom between April and May each year, turning gardens and parks into the technicolor Instagram scene of your dreams:
In Japan, there are two wisteria wonderlands travelers adore: Ashikaga Flower Park, reachable by train from Tokyo, will feature more than 350 wisteria trees in full bloom during this year’s Great Wisteria Festival from April 15 to May 22.Be sure to stick around until nighttime for light-up wisteria displays and a plate of wisteria-flavored noodles at Ashikaga’s onsite cafe.
Kawachi Fujien Wisteria Garden, in the city of Kitakyushu, offers ticketed admission from April 22 to May 7.
