Touring Four Kamakura “Hydrangea Temples”

Blue mophead hydrangea line Meigetsuin’s stairs. (© Harada Hiroshi)

The temple’s expansive iris garden, open when the flowers are in bloom. (© Harada Hiroshi)

Lacecap hydrangeas at Jōchiji. (© Harada Hiroshi)

Iwatabako (Conandron ramondiodes) can also be spotted blooming quietly amid rock faces. (© Harada Hiroshi)

Nearly 2,000 stalks of mōsōchiku tortoise-shell bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) occupy the grounds of Hōkokuji. (© Harada Hiroshi)

Blue and purple blooms form a stunning backdrop to the stone statues. (© Harada Hiroshi)

Nearly 2,500 hydrangeas shrubs bring color to this sloping terrain. (© Harada Hiroshi)

The view greeting visitors at the top of the staircase’s two hundred steps. (© Harada Hiroshi)