Koishikawa Korakuen｜Iris with light in the shade

2025.06.03
Year 2025May 2025MayKoishikawa KorakuenTokyo Metropolitan areablooming (esp. of cherry blossoms)Japanese iris
This photograph captures the feeling of "an iris blooming in the shade where light filters through" at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden.
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This photograph captures a moment in the shaded area of Koishikawa Korakuen Garden where irises bloom, with light streaming down like a spotlight onto the flowers alone. The contrast between light and shadow creates a fantastical atmosphere. Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is an early Edo period daimyo garden located in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, known as a strolling garden with artificial hills and springs built by the Mito Tokugawa family. In spring, cherry blossoms blooming around the pond and among the groves create a serene landscape hard to believe is in the heart of the city. While weeping cherry trees and Yoshino cherry trees lend a gentle expression to the garden, come early summer, the irises bloom all at once, bringing elegant color to the tranquil waterside.