This walking path looks like a brook (Photo: Olga Kaneda)

50 Shades of Lilac, Pink and White

Wisteria in the botanical garden of Kasuga-taisha shrine

Ilona Leontieva   - 1 min read

Wisteria – one of the attractions of Nara. Her stunning branches are depicted in paintings, dishes, curtains, shawls, and in general on all wherever possible. Even acolytes in the Kasuga-taisha shrine, wear wisteria flowers as a headdress.

Shin-en was opened in 1932 as the first botanical garden "Man-yo" in Japan. There are flowers that have been described in the poems Man-yo-shu ("Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves"), the oldest collection of Japanese poetry of Nara.

The garden is divided into five zones: Hyo-hon-en, garden Gokoku, herb garden, the garden of camellias and wisteria.   About 250 colors grow in the garden of camellias, and 200 bushes of 20 species in the garden of camellias.

Ilona Leontieva

Ilona Leontieva @ilona.leontieva