There are many famous gardens around Japan, and few countries can surpass Japan’s traditions when it comes to cultivating ornamental plants. An English visitor to the country in the 1800s even said in comparison to his home country that “if a love of plants could measure the level of a civilisation, then Japan’s would be far superior”. One of the most famous of those gardens is located in the small city of Ashikaga, north of Tokyo. Only a relatively short drive from internationally popular Karuizawa, here you will be greeted by flowers of many kinds planted so that something is always in bloom from February until November. The wisteria here are particularly famous, and bring huge crowds in April and May looking to catch sight of the lavender coloured flowers. Ashikaga City has even more to offer besides the gardens, including Japan’s oldest school, the Ashikaga Gakko, a place of learning for Samurai children for centuries, and the beautiful Orihime Shrine, with great panoramic views and multi-colored Torii Gates beckoning visitors up its steps.