Summer Photography : Flowers in Tokyo

I have just concluded my epic 1 month summer vacation in Tokyo. When I looked at my photo gallery, I realised I had taken lots of pictures of flowers. During my daily walks, I often passed by parks, gardens, or even small houses with flowers in the front yard, and I just couldn’t stop myself from snapping photos of these beautiful blooms. Somehow, flower hunting turned into a little side goal during my daily walks.

_{No surprise, Sunflowers are in full bloom everywhere since it's summer 🌻}

_{This red Zinnia really stands out in the garden.}

_{I love the color of this one but I just don't know the name.}

_{Spotted this beautiful bloom during my walk in Shinjuku Gyoen.}

Back in the Philippines, my mom is an avid gardener, especially when it comes to flowers. She has a green thumb, so our garden is always full of blooms. At my own house in Cebu, I keep a small garden too, with about ten varieties of flowers since space is limited. Seeing them bloom makes me happy, especially when I’m the one who planted and cared for them. Maybe that’s why I felt drawn to every flower I came across in Tokyo as it reminded me of home.

_{White and violet Periwinkles, also known as Vinca. In the Philippines, we call them Kumintang.}

_{In Japanese they’re called ニチニチソウ [Nichinichisou].}

_{These flowers bloom at my home in Cebu in lovely violet and pink shades.}

_{Marigolds are one of my favorite flowers!}

_{Oh, look at this beauty! I wish I could have a whole bed of flowers like this at home.}

_{Took this picture at Senzoku Ike during my walk there.}

_{Petunias are one of my favorites because of their vibrant colors!}

_{I’ve always wanted to grow petunias, but their tiny seeds make it so tricky.}

_{I have these at home in Cebu and we call them Vietnam roses.}

_{Others call them also as Portulaca, these flowers are low-maintenance and easy to grow.}

_{A climbing vine flower with a pretty shade of pink.}

What I loved most was how flowers seemed to pop up everywhere. One day it was a well-tended rose garden in a public park, the next it was a small pot of periwinkles on someone’s front yard. Discovering them felt like a little treasure hunt during my walks, adding color and joy to my daily walking routine.

_{Red-orange roses blooming in Shinjuku Gyoen.}

_{So sad I missed the peak bloom of these roses… I guess I’ll have to make do with the leftover blooms.}

_{Yellow rose—reminds me of Beauty and the Beast.}

_{I’ll have to come back to see these roses at their full glory next time.}

Japan, of course, has a deep cultural connection with flowers, most famously with cherry blossoms in spring. I visited Japan last spring too, but I missed the peak of sakura season. Hopefully next time I can time my trip perfectly to catch them in full bloom! Fingers crossed 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

_{Spotted this lovely white bloom in Shinjuku Gyoen.}

_{I love how unique this flower is.}

_{Hydrangeas are usually bursting with color, though this one is a bit muted.}

_{Took this photo at the Bonsai Museum in Omiya. I found it funny - tiny flowers among a garden full of bonsai plants!}

_{Spotted this rare blue bloom in Omiya Park.}

I noticed, though, that Tokyo doesn’t seem to spend as much on flower decorations around the city. When I visited Toronto, Canada during summer last year, the downtown area was filled with blooming flowers. Streets and corners were bursting with colorful arrangements, and it made the city very pretty and charming. I guess their government allocates a bigger budget for that. Maybe the cooler Canadian summer also helps the flowers thrive longer. I might create another post just about the flowers in Toronto.

_{Sunflowers in Shinjuku Chuo Park.}

_{Sari-saring flowers kayo jan! This was taken at Shinjuku Chuo Park.}

_{These flowers caught my eye… but what is it called?}

For all these photos, I only used my iPhone. I used to own DSLRs and larger cameras, but with the rise of smartphones, I gradually stopped using them. Phones are lighter, less bulky, and much more convenient to travel with, making photography literally at your fingertips. In a way, using my phone forced me to focus less on gear and more on simply enjoying the subject.

_{These Zinnias looked majestic as I photographed them during sunset by the Tamagawa River.}

_{Zinnias thrive in summer, so we have them at our home in Bohol.}

_{Gumamela flowers: they look so pretty in your hair or behind the ear.}

I even tried to find the names of the flowers I captured. Some I was able to identify through online searching, some I was already familiar with, but others remain a mystery to me. Maybe one day I’ll learn more, or perhaps someone reading this might recognize them and share their names.

_{Such a beautiful orange bloom, commonly seen along streets where it grows into small trees.}

_{This flower is a common sight on the streets also with pretty Pink flowers.}

_{This is the white variety of the same shrub.}

_{Pink blooms popping up in the lush greenery of this Japanese garden.}

Looking back, I’m really happy that flowers became such a lovely part of my Tokyo trip. They gave me little pockets of calm and joy in the middle of the busy city. Hope you enjoyed them too. Thanks for stopping by, and see you in the next post.

_{*All content is mine unless otherwise noted. All photos taken with my iPhone 14 Pro Max.}