It is currently Hydrangea season and usually I head over to Kamakura to Hasadera Temple and Meigetsuin, (the hydrangea temple). Due to covid, these temples are limiting the amount of people who can enter at one time and you could experience a three hour wait or more.
Then there are multiple parks in the Bay Area with lots of hydrangeas, but if you want to avoid the crowds and have a little adventure, there are several lesser-known places throughout Yokohama's various neighborhoods.
The following is just a small sampling of what you can find.
Let’s start with Takinogawa Hydrangea Road. You have probably never heard of this place. It is in Hodogaya Ward and near Mitsuzawa-Shimocho Blue Line subway station. The road starts at the Highway 1 and Highway 13 intersection and continues on for about 300 meters. There is a bus stop right near the entrance. This was my first time to visit and I was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful display of Hydrangeas.
From there, you can enjoy a 42-minute walk to Hodogaya Park, or of course you can ride a bus. They have several areas with excellent Hydrangea displays. At the little pond you may be lucky to catch a glimpse of the resident Kingfisher. I usually have to go very early in the morning to spot him catching his breakfast.
A 37-minute walk south from there will bring you to Yokohama Children’s Botanical Garden. There are three areas you will want to visit. First the botanical garden has a rose display and a small green house with lots of cactus. Head down the stairs to the back entrance gate; just below the rose garden are a variety of hydrangea. Next go to the main entrance and walk across the street and follow the upper trails near the bamboo forest. There will be some colorful hydrangea all along the pathway. Finally, walk along the highway between the two parks, go around the bend and you will come to the Yokohama Commonwealth War Cemetery, constructed by Australia just after WWII. During this time of year, they have a great display of roses by each grave.
Walk down to Highway 1 and take a bus to the Shimachu Store bus stop, then walk a block on Kanjo No 2 (highway 17) to the Hiradonhaya River. The walk along the river is approximately four kilometers and you will see continuous displays of Hydrangea. Just beyond the end of the walkway is the Kaminagaya Blue Line subway station.
Almost all the canals in Yokohama have Hydrangeas blooming from the end of May to mid-June.
But no matter what season it is, there is always something to see in Yokohama neighborhoods.
