A wisteria festival is held in Okayama prefecture’s Wake city when the wisteria flowers bloom. With over 100 wisteria sorts, Wake has the biggest number of different wisteria flower types in Japan, and boasts a majestic view of 500 meters of wisteria trellis. The blooming period is late April until early May every year. During the festival period there are plenty of events and stalls selling local food and Bizen ware products. The view of the fully blossoming wisteria trellis is very beautiful as it resembles floating violet clouds.
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The wisteria trellis in Wake Wisteria Park
Inside the Wake Wisteria Park, which spans over 7000 square meters, there is a 500-meter long and 7-meter wide wisteria trellis. When they bloom they look exactly like violet clouds. There is something mystical about the light violet flowers hanging over your head. Before telling you more about Wake’s wisterias, let me first introduce the local festival. Wake’s wisteria festival is held from end of April till the beginning of May and during that period there is an admission fee of 300 JPY for the park. The exact period when the flowers blossom is different every year, so make sure to check the latest information from the official website or by phone in advance. The festival is held around the days of the blossoming flowers. When I went there on May 5, different wisteria sorts were at different stages of blossoming, but generally all of them were a little before their peak.
During the festival period it can get quite crowded. Especially during weekends the parking lot in front of the park is already full at 10:00 in the morning and there are big waiting lines. The park opens at 8:00, so early arrival is recommended for those who want to take their time.
Over 100 wisteria sorts blossom in the park
The photo is from Miyazaki shrine’s “shirafuji” sort of white wisteria in Miyazaki city, Miyazaki prefecture. The harmony of the rare white flowers against the violet ones and the blue sky is splendid.
Wake boasts a rich variety of over 100 wisteria sorts. There are sorts from all over the country – from Hokkaido’s Hakodate in the north to Kagoshima’s Bonotsu in the south. For this reason the park is also known as the best wisteria park in Japan. There are famous wisteria trees from a total of 46 prefectures (with the exception of Okinawa where they don’t grow), so you can try and find some regional ones. There are also wisteria trees from Korea, China and other foreign countries.
Most people associate wisterias with the widely known light violet colors, but in Wake’s park you can also see rare sorts with white and pink flowers. The variation is enormous: gorgeous double blossoming wisteria, long hanging wisteria, short grape-like wisteria, and so on. There are flowers for every taste. One of the enjoyments is to find your favorite wisteria sort.
How about a rest with local food and tea?
If you get a little tired from walking under the wisteria trellis, you can stop for a bit and enjoy local food or an open-air tea ceremony. The visual combination of the tea house’s umbrella and the wisterias makes you feel the true spirit of Japan.
There are many food stalls in the park where you can try local gourmet products, such as “Tsuyama Horumon Udon” (Japanese wheat noodles with beef and pork offal) from northern Okayama prefecture. Wake town’s “hand-made sweet bean jelly” and “festival sushi” are famous too. Be sure to try them. There are also evening illuminations during the festival’s period. The lit up wisterias have a different charm that you may want to see as well.
Bizen ware exhibits the earth's blessings!
Bizen ware is a famous type of local pottery. Originating from the nearby Bizen city, the pottery products possess a particular dark reddish-brown color and exhibit the blessings of earth. Many people are attracted to Bizen ware products with their well-burned polished surface and natural simplicity. Every item is different than the others.
There are stalls selling Bizen ware in the park too. You can find cups, teapots and various other containers. Examining all the different products with their natural yet polished surface is a pleasure of its own.
Bizen ware does not use any glaze and the color might slightly differ depending on the place where the clay has been taken from and also depending on the fire burning. You will spend a lot of time examining all the items and choosing the most suitable for you.
Finally, let me introduce the sightseeing spots around the wisteria park
Finally, let’s see what else there is to say around the wisteria park. There is a big statue of Wake no Kiyomaru at the front entrance of the park. He was a high-ranking Japanese official during the Nara and Heian periods. Born in Bizen province, he went to serve Emperor Kammu and subsequently managed the repair and control of the local rivers against floods.
Wake no Kiyomaru’s statue is in front of the main entrance. The park is on the left side, while further after the entrance is Wake shrine, a place built to worship this local historical figure. On the right side is Wake History Folklore Museum which is also worth visiting.
Wake town is situated between Bizen city to the east and Mimasaka city to the north. If you have more time you can visit Bizen to see more of the local pottery products, or drive to Mimasaka’s Yunogo hot springs.
Conclusion
The place where the wisteria festival is held is also called “Fujino” (wisteria field), because in the past it was literally a field with wild wisterias. The blossoming flowers remind the visitors of the landscape back in the old days. Definitely visit this wonderful place.
History
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