Chrysanthemum flowers are a ubiquitous image in Japan.
From the seal of the Imperial Family to the 50 yen coin to the miniature blooms often decorating sushi plates, they really are everywhere.
There are over 100 varieties of chrysanthemums (kiku 菊 in Japanese) and autumn is the best time of year to appreciate their cultivated splendor. When cultivating chrysanthemums for display, growers will use special sticks to make sure that individual petals grow upwards. These are no ordinary chrysanthemums!
To see for yourself how amazing these flowers can be during this season, you can stop by Shukkeien Garden for their annual exhibit of chrysanthemum flowers (on until November 17).
To get to Shukkeien, take the streetcar on the Hakushima Line to the Shukkeien-mae stop. You will find the Hiroshima Prefectural Museum of Art just on your right and the garden is just past the museum.
For more information about Shukkeien in English, French, Chinese, or Korean, go to http://shukkeien.jp/
Autumn is such a wonderful time to visit Hiroshima!