Time is running out to experience the Iris Festival at the Yokosuka Iris Garden in Yokosuka, Japan. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
The sky was cloudy and a faint drizzle was falling on the water lilies at the entrance on the day I visited Yokosuka Iris Garden to experience the Iris Festival.
The event, now underway through late June, celebrates the blooming of irises and signals the start of the rainy summers in Japan.
The shade of purple would make any anthophile rejoice while walking through the garden during the festival.
The iris is a symbol of courage, protection, strength and purification. Because its long, pointed leaves resemble the blade of a Japanese sword, the flower is historically linked to samurai warriors, representing bravery and protection from evil spirits.
Purple blooms rule the Yokosuka Iris Garden during an annual festival underway in Yokosuka, Japan. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
Time is running out to experience the Iris Festival at the Yokosuka Iris Garden in Yokosuka, Japan. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
The grounds contain more than 400 iris varieties spanning four classifications: Edo, Higo, Ise and American, with different varieties coming into bloom throughout the season.
The Edo series is the oldest. Widespread cultivation of Japanese irises dates to the Edo period, 1603-1868, when breeders developed hundreds of named varieties that remain the foundation of iris gardening in Japan today. In total, 140,000 flowers are in bloom in the garden during the season.
Workers walk the garden grounds in traditional garments. Kongasuri is a tie-dye textile of dark blue cloth with white splash patterns. Sugegasa is a traditional sedge hat that offers shade from the sun. The workers tend to the gardens to preserve the life and ecosystem of the iris flowers.
Gardeners tend to the plants in the Yokosuka Iris Garden while wearing traditional garments. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
On Sundays during the festival, live koto performances add to the ambiance. The sound of the traditional stringed instrument drifts through the garden as visitors walk the paths.
The cost of entry for the flower garden is 500 yen, or about $3.12, for adults and 100 yen for children.
Other flowers are in bloom inside the garden, including water lilies. You’ll see hydrangeas and azaleas along the walking paths, adding accents of white, pink and blue to the purple and green landscape.
A small water mill turns inside the Yokosuka Iris Garden in Yokosuka, Japan. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)
A water mill sits alongside the flower beds on the south side of the garden, adding a different style focal point to the scenery of flowers.
The Yokosuka Iris Garden is also known for its wisteria, which blooms from mid-April to May, after cherry blossom season. The plant is believed to represent good luck, kindness and longevity thanks to its long vines.
On the QT
Directions: From Kinugasa Station, take an 11-minute bus ride on No. 25 and get off at Shobuen, the eighth stop. From there, the entrance to the garden is a one-minute walk. Google plus code: 7J4R+M2 Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Times: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Costs: 500 yen for adults and 100 yen for children.
Food: Small snacks and refreshments are sold by vendors inside the garden.
Information: Online at ryokukazouen.jp/iris
