The Cultivated Mother: Meigetsu-in Temple, "The Hydrangea Temple"

It's rainy season in Japan, and while that might put a damper on a lot of plans, it's actually the best time to go see some hydrangea. The hydrangea bloom during rainy season here - always in June - and draw crowds. One of the best places to view the hydrangea is at Meigetsu-in temple in Kamakura.

Meigetsu-in was founded in 1160 and has over 2,000 hydrangea throughout the grounds and lining the pathways. However, the hydrangea weren't planted until after WWII, so the huge crowds during June are fairly new (considering the temple's long history).

A word to the wise - if you want to visit during the hydrangea season, GO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. We went on a Friday and it was packed. To make matters worse, it was raining, so much of our view was blocked by the many umbrellas. If you only have the weekend available, you should still definitely make a point to visit. It was beautiful.

Here's the info you need if you'd like to go:

Address: 189 Yamanouchi, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa
Station: Kita Kamakura (Directions from the station: Take a JR train to Kita-Kamakura [one stop past Kamakura], then walk south past a folk museum and some houses. Turn left near the end of the street - before crossing the train tracks and just after crossing a small creek - and follow that road directly to the temple.)