Rain Flowers: Hydrangeas of Love
From the time they are mere buds to the time their petals flutter to the earth,
hydrangeas change their color from white to sky blue to green-blue, and finally to violet. Hydrangeas are especially suited to the rainy season in Japan. This course is ideal for flower viewing and will take you around the Fushimi area.
(About 5 hours)
1. Fujinomori Jinja Shrine →10:30 - 11:30
This shrine, dating from the Heian Period (794 - 1185), is known for granting good luck with horses. No surprise then that many horse racing fans pay homage to the shrine. The shrine is famous for the 3,500 hydrangeas that occupy nearly 5,000 square meters within the grounds. The shrine is also host to a hydrangea festival from early June to early July. On June 15th, offerings of flowers, games, and traditional court music are made to the gods.
Details
Hours：9:00 to 16:30
Address：609 Toriizakicho Fukakusa Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
Access：A short walk from Fujinomori jinja city bus stop
3 minutes walk from Fushimi Inari Station
Entrance fee：Free (300 yen for the hydrangea garden)
2. Nezameya→12:00 - 13:30
Next to
Fushimi Inari Shrine, on a path popular with pilgrims, is Nezameya. Cooked sparrows and quail decorate the front of this 460-year old store. In front of Fushimi Inari Shrine that deifies the fox god to ensure abundant harvests are shops where you can eat enemies of the god. Eel and udon, and mackerel sushi are a great choice for lunch.
Details
Hours：9:00 to 18:00
Address：82-1 Inari - Gozencho Fukakusa Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
Access：5-min walk from Keihan Fushimi Inari Station
Closed: No fixed holiday but closed once or twice a year.
<5-minute walk>
This shrine is famous for the 10,000 orange torii (Shinto gates) that stretch from the furthest reaches of the shrine and down toward the entrance. Beginning in the Edo Period (1603 _ 1868), worshippers began to donating gates to the temple as offerings to the gods.
Details
Address：68 Yabunouchicho Fukakusa Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
Access：5-min walk from Keihan Fushimi Inari Station
Entrance fee: Free
