FEATURE

A Guide to Kanto's Hydrangeas ― Flowers of the Rainy Season

The rainy season is often thought poor for photography. Yet the hydrangea, alone among flowers, shows its true colour only in the rain. Blue deepening as it soaks, blooms set afloat on water, pure-white pompoms against the buildings of an old downtown ― this is a record of seeking the flower that shines brightest under a grey sky, across the hydrangea places of Kanto.

Deepening in the rain ― Kamakura's hydrangea temple

Say hydrangea, and Kamakura comes first to mind. At Meigetsuin in Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa, some two thousand five hundred Hime-ajisai fill the grounds, their clear blue so loved it has a name of its own ― 'Meigetsuin Blue.' The wetter the rain, the deeper the colour, until simply walking the approach feels like sinking into a sea of blue. Hydrangeas change colour with the acidity of the soil, so hunting for the subtly different blue of each temple and each plant is a pleasure only the rainy season offers.

Blooming on water ― the floating flowers of Ibaraki

At Amabiki Kannon in Sakuragawa, Ibaraki, hydrangeas in many colours are floated across the stone basins and the Benten pond. Locals call it suichuka, and the water itself seems to bloom. Where hydrangeas on land grow heavy with rain and bow their heads, the flowers set free on the water are weightless. Ducks drift lazily between the blooms ― a gentle early-summer day, found here.

Blooming downtown ― Annabelle and the Skytree

The hydrangea is not only a flower of old temples. In Koto, Tokyo, pure-white pompom 'Annabelle' hydrangeas bloom in drifts, with the Tokyo Skytree rising beyond them. White hydrangeas and a modern tower ― such a cool early-summer scene, in a familiar downtown. The loveliest frame comes at dusk after rain, in the hour when the white takes on a hint of blue.

On a rainy day, the hydrangea is loveliest.
From under the umbrella, go looking for blue.

Photographing hydrangeas ― tips for the rain

Kanto's hydrangeas are usually at their best from early June to mid-July. The finest conditions come not on clear days but in rain or just after: a soft overcast kills the glare and lets the true colours sink in deep. To make the most of droplets on the petals, move in close, almost to macro. Don't forget to protect your lens and camera from the rain ― a single towel in the bag brings peace of mind. Handling light on a rainy day is covered in how to photograph flower landscapes.

💠 The blue of a rainy day, always at hand

From Meigetsuin Blue to the floating blooms of Amabiki Kannon, bring home the stillness of the rainy season as a true silver-halide print on FUJICOLOR's finest professional paper. Deep blue gradation, shipped worldwide.

View the hydrangea prints →