Written by Lily Crossley-Baxter
Researched by Alexandra Ziminski
The Bunkyo (or Nezu Shrine) Azalea Festival is known for its iconic landscape of torii gates surrounded by a sea of pink.
What happens?
Entering the main shrine is free, but there is a ¥500 fee for entering the hillside garden filled with an explosion of neatly trimmed pink, white, red, and purple azalea bushes.
There are food and drink stalls, a market, and performances. It’s usually extremely crowded on the weekends and so going on a weekday is recommended. The best time to see the flowers is around mid-April and you can keep up to date with the flowering status on Nezu Shrine’s Instagram.
Suggested Activity
Sumo Morning Practice Tour at Stable in Tokyo
Try this insider’s experience at a sumo wrestler morning practice session. Enjoy exclusive access to a sumo stable, watching as these massive athletes put themselves through their daily training regimen and go head-to-head.
Schedule 2025
The garden is open every day, as well as an antique market and street stalls. There’s also…
- On Sunday, April 6 at 12 p.m. there will be a mikoshi (portable shrine) procession.
- On April 12, 19, and 26 there will be a drum performance at 12 p.m.
Early
~
Late Apr
2026
文京つつじまつり
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Adults:
At the door: ¥500
Official site
⚠️ Link in Japanese
- 323 m from Tōdaimae Station Namboku Line (N12)
- 0.6 km from Nezu Station Chiyoda Line (C14)
- 0.7 km from Sendagi Station Chiyoda Line (C15)
Typical weather at this time:
High: 19 ºC
Low: 8 ºC
