The Mount Rokko Cable Car & Tourism Company has announced a special bus tour which will take passengers to the Chapel of the Wind and Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden. Running on weekends and public holidays between October 24 and November 15, the bus will depart from Kobe Sannomiya, and will also include a special lunch at the Rokko View Palace inside Rokko Garden Terrace.

What to look forward to

Chapel of the Wind, known as Kaze no Kyokai in Japanese, was built by internationally-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. It’s open for the autumn season only, and the bus tour will give you a chance to go inside and take in one of Ando’s early works.

The lunch offered on the tour will be served at Rokko View Palace inside Rokko Garden Terrace, a staggering 880m above sea level. The menu includes roast chicken and beef, salad, bread, and dessert.

Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden will be in full autumn bloom during the bus tour, with reds, yellows, and oranges presented by the beeches and maples. There’s also an exhibition taking place at the garden centred on Persian cyclamens and diamond lilies. You will stroll leisurely through the garden as the garden staff take you on a tour to see the beautiful autumnal sights.

The high season to catch a glimpse of the beautiful nikkōkisuge (Hemerocallis esculenta) flower at Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden is happening right now.

The nikkōkisuge blooms in the high plains and is recognised as a sign of summer. The full bloom period for the flower in the subalpine zone is June, but the best time to see them in high plains is July where 2,000 clusters of the bright yellow beauties sprout their vibrant leaves. The yellow beds make for some seriously summery Instagram posts.

They live a fleeting life as they only bloom for a single day, opening in the morning and closing in the evening. A single stem is home to abundant flower buds, and they are long so they can bloom from one to the next. If you are in Hyogo this July we highly recommend witnessing this ephemeral sight.

The season has arrived at Rokkō Alpine Botanical Garden in Hyogo Prefecture when you can see the “phantasmal” hydrangea known as the shichidanka.

The shichidanka is a type of hydrangea serrata, also known as “mountain hydrangea.” It is known for its distinct double-flowering. Its ten or so sepals give it a beautiful star shape. Its delicate form has earned the plant much popularity in the gardens where it blooms in two locations.

As well as this flower, several other hydrangeas are now in bloom or soon to be in bloom a the garden too which are making their way to Japanese social media. Let’s take a look at some of the various hydrangeas you can see there.

Shichdanka (Hortensia serrate var.serrata f.prolifera)

This flower stands at 1 to 1.5 meters tall. The flower appears in Philipp Franz von Siebold’s studies of Japanese flora and fauna during the Edo Period, but its existence subsequently became unnoticed until 1959 where it was discovered by chance at Mount Rokkō. The flowers were then cut and planted and seedlings spread across various places. The flower, which was given the name “mountain hydrangea,” took on a beautiful blue colour as a result of acid soil from caused by granite. It can be enjoyed in full bloom right now until mid-July.

Himeajisai (Hortensia cuspidata f.cuspidata) [Blooming: June – July 2019]

Also known as the “garden hydrangea,” the himeajisai is recognisable for its shape which is like a temari – a type of toy ball from Japanese folk art. It was given its name by Japanese botanist Tomitaro Makino in 1929. It is strong and durable against hot and dry weather and takes on a gorgeous blue colour when grown in soil with a high level of acidity.

Amagiamacha (Hortensia serrata var.angustata) [Blooming: June – July 2019]

This delicate, sweet-smelling flower has thin leaves that grow no longer than 10cm. Since long ago this flower has not been used as a sweetener in hydrangea tea but instead during the manufacturing process of soy sauce for its embalming effect. It has also been used to prevent mould and mildew from building up. Not only that, the flower has also been combined in home remedies such as mouth fresheners and toothpaste for its sweet flavour. Locals also use it for balancing sweetness and acidity with daikon pickled vegetables.

Tamaajisai (Platycrater involucrata) [Blooming: August 2019]

The tamaajisai grows natively across the Kanto region to Gifu Prefecture. It blooms in mountainous regions that have a high level of humidity. Its leaves’ surface have thick and hard hairs on them. They get the tama (“Ball” in Japanese) in their name for their ping pong ball-like buds. During wartime the flower was also used as a substitute for tobacco and so it also gets the name “mountain tobacco.” The flower is popular for its appearance just before its full bloom too.

Visit Rokkō Alpine Botanical Garden this summer to see all of the different hydrangeas on show.

The maple trees at Rokkō Alpine Botanical Garden are set to be lit up at an event that will run from October 19 to November 11. The event will enable people to walk the gardens at night to gaze at the illuminated red leaves. Additionally, as part of the 2018 Rokko Meets Art project, another display titled ‘The Night Museum’ will be held simultaneously where art pieces around the garden will also be lit up.

The hills and mountains in Japan turn into a kaleidoscope of reds, yellows and oranges when autumn comes and the maple trees bloom. Mount Rokkō is at a high altitude and it’s here that maple trees blossom almost one month earlier than other town areas including Kyoto. There are numerous varieties of maple tree at Rokkō Alpine Botanical Garden for people to see. You can look forward to seeing the trees change colour from mid-October through mid-November. These bright and beautiful trees will be made even more vivid when they are lit up together with the art installations around the gardens.

Rokkō Alpine Botanical Garden boasts a diverse range of tree species and plants including the maple variety like the Japanese maple and oomomiji as well as the Japanese beech, Japanese larch, shiromoji, rhododendrons and more, all of which come to life in autumnal colours. It is also home to several species that grow in high altitudes like the chinguruma.

The lit-up trees will create a starkly different, more mysterious atmosphere than during the daytime. There is also much anticipation for the exhibition of an art installation by Takahashi Kyota.

You’ll also have the opportunity to use seeds fallen from trees in the garden and dried hydrangeas to make your own wreath. Tools and items will all be prepared for you so you can go hands-free.

A photo seminar will also take place under the refreshing sky of Mount Rokkō. You’ll be led around the garden by lecturers of the Japan Alpine Photographers Association and learn how to take photos of the hills and fields. You will observe medicinal plants and learn the charms of plans you would never know by just looking at them.

Enjoy the gorgeous colours of autumn this year at Rokkō Alpine Botanical Garden.