Around the Bikan Historical Area in Kurashiki, there are many wisteria trellises.
Since the city flower of Kurashiki City is the wisteria (fuji), it is maintained every year for viewing.
Captivated by the wisteria at Achi Shrine and the "Wisteria Viewing Association", I took a camera and wandered around the wisteria trellises near the Bikan Historical Area on April 25, 2024 (Thursday), blessed with clear weather, and I will introduce the situation along with photos.
In front of Kurashiki International Hotel
At the entrance of the Bikan Historical Area, there is a large concrete building towering above.
Kurashiki International Hotel.
In front of Kurashiki International Hotel, there is a wisteria trellis with purple wisteria hanging down.
On April 25, there were some parts that were starting to wilt, but there were still several flowers in full bloom.
Achi Shrine
After leaving Kurashiki International Hotel, I walked for about 5 minutes in the Bikan Historical Area and saw Achi Shrine.
At Achi Shrine, there is a giant Akebono wisteria known as "Achi no Fuji," which is said to be the largest in Japan.
This Akebono wisteria, boasting an age of 300 to 500 years, has been designated as a natural monument of Okayama Prefecture, and the "Wisteria Viewing Association" was held at Achi Shrine on April 20 and 21, 2024.
On the day of the "Wisteria Viewing Association," the Achi no Fuji, which had just started to bloom, was in full bloom on April 25.
Next to the Achi no Fuji, azaleas were also blooming, and the brightly colored Achi Shrine was filled with the pleasant fragrance of wisteria. Despite it being a weekday afternoon, many people came to admire the Achi no Fuji.
It seems that the blooming season will continue for a while longer.
Kurashiki Ivy Square
Descending the stairs of Achi Shrine and walking for about 10 minutes towards Higashimachi, I saw a red brick building.
Next to the parking lot of Kurashiki Ivy Square, there is also a wisteria trellis next to Shiroyama Inari Daimyojin.
This wisteria is a variety called "Yamafuji." While regular wisteria vines twist to the right, Yamafuji twists to the left, so adjustments for sunlight are necessary.
It is said that the peak bloom usually occurs around Golden Week, but on April 25, 2024, most of the flowers had wilted, and only a few flowers were visible.
According to the person managing the plants at Kurashiki Ivy Square, this year, the blooming occurred significantly earlier than usual, reaching its peak around April 17.
Geibunkan Hall
Walking about 5 minutes from Kurashiki Ivy Square towards the Bikan Historical Area, I saw a concrete building similar to Kurashiki International Hotel.
This is Geibunkan Hall, a facility beloved by the citizens as a hall for classical concerts and theater.
In fact, Geibunkan Hall, Kurashiki International Hotel, and Kurashiki Ivy Square were all designed by architect Uraabe Shizutaro and the architectural design company he established, Uraabe Design Co., Ltd.
In front of the hall, there are two large wisteria trellises.
On April 25, both wisteria trellises were adorned with small flowers.
Kurashiki City Office
It is a bit of a distance, about a 5-minute bike ride from the Bikan Historical Area, but there is also a wisteria trellis at the Kurashiki City Office Main Building.
The locations are in front of the indoor parking lot and in front of the east parking lot.
On April 25, due to the heavy rain the day before, some flowers had fallen, but beautiful flowers could still be seen as in the photo.
The wisteria trellis in front of the indoor parking lot does not have many flowers, but you can take pictures of the wisteria flowers along with the tower of the Kurashiki City Office, which boasts a height of 66m.
This red brick building has a similar structure to Kurashiki Ivy Square.
Interestingly, this Kurashiki City Office main building was also designed by Uraha Chintaro. The overall "Kurashiki-ness" felt throughout the city of Kurashiki may be influenced by the cohesive architectural style.
Conclusion
This time, we took a wisteria tour in conjunction with the blooming of the "Achi Wisteria" at Achi Shrine, but due to the different varieties of wisteria and the way the sunlight hits them, by April 25, 2024, the peak bloom had already passed in some locations.
However, looking at it from a different perspective, the wisteria in Kurashiki has different peak bloom times, so I think it can be enjoyed over a long period.
Next year, I would like to aim for the best season for each wisteria trellis and enjoy the full bloom of wisteria along with the architecture and scenery characteristic of Kurashiki.
Data on Kurashiki City Office Main Building, Geibunkan Hall, Kurashiki International Hotel, Achi Shrine, and Kurashiki Ivy Square
| Name | Kurashiki City Office Main Building, Geibunkan Hall, Kurashiki International Hotel, Achi Shrine, Kurashiki Ivy Square |
|---|---|
| Address | Surrounding Bikan Historical Area, Kurashiki City |
