Pink Moss & Wisteria May 2016

Hey folks,

My family and I will be traveling to Tokyo and Fukuoka this May, from the 8th to the 21st. We would really like to see the pink moss and wisteria, and would prefer to avoid the Golden Week crowds.

I was wondering if we should aim to do the pink moss or the wisteria first? It seems like early to mid May would be the best time to see both. Basically, we are doing Tokyo & Mt Fuji pink moss first, followed by Fukuoka for wisteria on 18th May. Would this be too late to view the wisteria in full bloom?

My current plan is as follows:

8 May: Arrive in Tokyo
9 May: Wisteria around Tokyo OR Ashikaga Park?
10 - 13 May: Go to Fuji Five Lakes. Stay in Fujikawaguchiko, spend time at the Pink Moss festival and maybe explore the surrounding Fuji area
13 May: Back to Tokyo
14 May: Ashikaga Park for wisteria
15 May: Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu, and 1200 year old wisteria tree
16 May: Hitachi Kaihin Koen (+ Kasama Azalea Park?)
17 May: Tokyo to Fukuoka
18 May: Fukuoka Kawachi Fuji Garden
19 -21 May: Fukuoka

I would love to hear your thoughts and input about how I can improve my travel plan! Thank you :)

If you avoid the Golden Week completely, you might miss out some flowers.

Here is the photo record/archive of pink moss at Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu, for example. You can see views on different dates for the past several years.
http://navi.city.chichibu.lg.jp/p_flower/2201/

Wisteria at Kameido Tenjin in Tokyo start blooming around late April. I remember going there on April 25th a few years back at quite good peak. Another year on April 20th, though they were just starting to bloom.
http://kameidotenjin.or.jp/gallery/fuji/

Wisteria at Ashikaga Park seems to peak mid April to mid May, so you have chance with this one.
https://www.ashikaga.co.jp/season/season03.html

Pink moss by Mt. Fuji seems to bloom later - last year the festival was from April 18 to May 31 - so you might want to move the visit to Mt. Fuji area a bit later.
http://www.shibazakura.jp/aboutus/

Maybe: central Tokyo, Hitsujiyama Park, Ahikaga, then Mt. Fuji. (Sorry I have no idea about Hitachi Kaihin Koen.)

Another one: Azalea festival in Nezu in Tokyo was from April 11 to May 6th last year.

http://www.nedujinja.or.jp/tutuji/t.html

Avoiding Golden Week is good for avoiding crowd, but if your focus is really on flowers, you might want to look around at photo archives to see what you will be able to see.

The famous spot in Fukuoka gets featured for their wisteria during Golden Week:
http://gazone.morrie.biz/kooen/kitakyuusyuu/kawati_huzien.html

Check their Facebook page for updates in the past, maybe?
https://www.facebook.com/kawachifujien

With flowers, you need to be flexible. While it's good to get an idea on when to go, it's best not to make any solid plans.

The websites listed by others will post pictures of the flower progression around peak times, so you can see if it is worth visiting.

You may find that you are too late for Chichibu. Ashikaga could be affected as well, but if you visit their websites during that period, you can see exactly how full or dead they are and plan to visit or skip any that are no longer blooming.

Hi guys,

Thank you so much for your valuable input. I'm gonna have lots of fun going through the links you've provided! In the meanwhile, I've changed my trip so that we will do Fukuoka first, followed by Tokyo.

Hope we'll be able to see the flowers in their full glory this May!

Thanks again, and have a lovely week!

It seemed to me that the Wisteria tunnels at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens peaked during Golden Week. I would encourage you to go, and enjoy the festival and parade in Fukuoka during Golden week. In addition, if you then stop in Hiroshima before heading to Tokyo, there is a flower festival going on there with a very nice Yosakoi Dance Parade. I have gone to Chichibu several times, just before and just after Golden week. It usually better just after Golden Week.

Everything depends on whether it's an early or late spring. The cherry blossom forecast looks to be about normal, so I would think that both will peak around Golden Week.

This tour seems to be going during the times you mentioned, so at least the pink moss shouldn't be a problem?
http://www.veltra.com/en/asia/japan/yamanashi/a/128533

Hello, I went to Nezu shrine an Kamiedo Tenjin shrine yesterday. Unfortunately the Fuji (wisteria) had an early start this year, there were still blooms but not at peak period as is typical this time of year. I'm going to Fukuoka this Friday to see wisteria tunnel, saw some pictures online and they appear to be peaked right now.
If you haven't been to Nikko take at least a full day there when you go to the Ashigawa wisteria. I went there last weekend and it's incredible, could have used 4 days there at least.
Have fun!

Hey Marie,

Thanks for your reply! If you don't mind, could you let me know how the Wisteria Tunnel after you visit it? I'll be visiting it on Monday, so excited!!

I'll be taking a day trip to Ashikaga Flower Park from
Tokyo, but I'm not sure what else I can do around that area. I won't be driving, just relying on the trains. Any recommendations? :)

Thanks again for the info, it really helps!

I am also visiting the Ashikaga Flower Park on 07may and may proceed to Azalea Hill Park (30 min by train from Tomita) and the web site can be refer to: https://traveldreamscapes.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/japan-gunma-tatebay...

Hope it helps

How's the Wisteria bloom at Kamiedo Tenjin shrine? I'm planning to go on 10 May. Will I be too late?

Is there any other flowers bloom/activity besides Wisteria at that shrine?