Hydrangea Appreciation Post

The next wonderful thing I discovered (after Japans’s shared love of jellyfish) is that rainy season = hydrangea season in Japan! And guess what? I get to be here for it!!!

They say Hakodate (the city we’re staying in, in case you forgot) has a special beauty in each season. We got to see what makes Fall so beautiful last time we were here: the most VIBRANT fall leaves I’ve ever seen. Winter’s thing is that they go harder on Christmas than most of Japan. Santa’s climbing buildings, a tree lighting ceremony with a firework display at the end. We haven't been here for a Spring season yet, but it is beautiful for the cherry blossoms they plant all around the old military fort of Goryokaku blooming. Summer turns out to be beautiful because of the hydrangeas!

I love hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers. In my travels I’ve drawn comfort in a few constants that seem to be in each country/state with me. Hydrangeas are one of those constants. They’re a gift of familiarity in unfamiliar places.

They were even in my wedding bouquet!

I discovered while briefly doing research for this post that hydrangeas are native to Japan (ok, my mom told me that first) and there are over 100 varieties here! I tried to capture the sheer variety of colors I have witnessed so far for you.

But what really surprised me is that they come in two different blooming styles. I’m used to the ball type of hydrangea common in the U.S. and Europe, so when I first saw the other style I thought they just hadn’t bloomed yet! This is the lace cap hydrangea. In Japanese it is called the gakuajisai. Ajisai is the word for hydrangea, the gaku is frame, pointing to how with this type of hydrangea the blooms frame the rest of the flower.

I haven’t taken as many pictures of this type because I didn’t understand what they were until now! I’ll have to hunt down some more in the future. I’m excited to have another reason to stop and stare at every hydrangea I pass.