Higanbana blooms in September

Higanbana, or Spider Lily, is a seasonal flower that tells the arrival of Autumn. Higanbana usually begins blooming in the middle of September, around the equinoctial week called Higan or O-Higan.

Higanbana blooms around the O-Higan period

O-Higan is an observance to give thanks to origins and nature. O-Higan is a period of 7days includes 3 days before and after the day of Autumnal Equinox Day. During the O-Higan period, people visit the family grave at the cemetery to remember their past family members and gratitude their ancestors.

Since it blooms around O-Higan period, this flower is called Higanbana (Higan flower) and is also called Manjushage or Manjusaka, meaning “the flower blooming in heaven” in Sanskrit. Higanbana is associated with Buddhism and the flowers are often seen at temples or Japanese gardens.

The root of Higanbana is toxic. They are often grown at places surrounding rice fields and along riversides to drive out moles or rats.

Gardens and Parks in Tokyo with Higanbana flowers

Large fields of Higanbana are mostly found on the outskirts of the Tokyo area, such as in Saitama Prefecture. These large fields can get extremely crowded; I once had to wait over an hour for a bus and ended up taking a taxi instead. So, I wanted to share information about less crowded gardens in Tokyo, so you can enjoy them more peacefully.

Koishikawa Korakuen 小石川後楽園

Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
8-min walk from JR Iidabashi Station
https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/koishikawakorakuen/