Colourful Sights in Jomyo-ji Temple

With the spring season having just finished and the rainy season now officially upon us, now is one of the best times of the year to go out and explore some of Japan’s picturesque sights before the punishing heat and stifling humidity of the summer season takes holds. Officially running from early June to mid-July, I have recently discovered that this is one of the best times in the year to see hydrangeas. Having recently made several visits to the eastern of part of Kamakura, I made a point of stopping by Jomyo-ji temple to see what colorful sights might await me.

Located within hilly district of eastern Kamakura, this area is home to several other major sights including Sugimoto Temple and Mount Kinubariyama. Jomyo-ji is also situated close by to a main road called the Kanazawa-Kaido, which passes by the Asahina Kiridoshi, a historic mountain pass that I visited earlier in the year. It was after visiting this pass that I stumbled upon this temple when heading back to Kamakura Station and vowed to return later on in the year.

When revisiting this temple, I immediately noticed that its wide spacious gardens looked a lot more vibrant in comparison to the colder winter months. After passing by its front gate, I could see several colorful sights coming from the area around the main prayer hall. Upon closer inspection, I noticed several azaleas were still in full bloom. This was somewhat surprising since many of these flowers have already withered in other parts of the city. In addition, I also saw several hydrangeas located towards the back of the main prayer hall. Because this was one of the few occasions where I have seen both flowers bloom simultaneously within the same place , I am guessing it was either sheer luck or something else?