Having grown up in the mid-western United States, I'd never seen wisteria until I came to Japan. I realized that's because it's commonly seen in the Eastern United States as well as parts of Asia like China, Korea, and Japan. Now, I get to see it every spring in a small park in Sosa City, Chiba prefecture, which is located on Chiba's north-eastern coast.
Like most beautiful things here, I find that it's short lived but always returns. The wisteria peaks in a week or two, and depending on the weather, the best time to view it is in early May. Wisteria is seen in Japanese folk arts. "Fuji Musume" or Wisteria Maiden is a Japanese folk painting subject that is said to have been inspired by popular dances in traditional Japanese dance-dramas called Kabuki.
