Oka-dera Temple, Nara
Oka-dera Temple is a Buddhist temple dating from the 7th century, located on a hillside east of the Asuka plain in Nara Prefecture. It's known as a place to pray to ward off evil and has various statues and structures of national importance. During Golden Week (late April to early May), the temple is also known for its blooming rhododendrons (over 3,000 plants!), azaleas, and shaga irises.
Sadly, when we visited on April 30th, the rhododendrons were mostly finished thanks to the unusually warm weather we had earlier this year. But not all was lost! Instead, there were dahlias everywhere! Apparently, two nurseries in Nara provide the temple with dahlia flowers year-round (we saw a similar display when we visited last summer). But given the number of flowers, I find it hard to wrap my head around the logistics of how that all works! How often are the flowers replaced? Who does it? How long does it take? So many questions!
The day was very wet and unusually cold, and only a few rhododendrons in bloom were to be found. However, despite our initial disappointment, we greatly enjoyed our visit. Next year, we'll aim for a week earlier.
(Click on the thumbnail for the full image. Then scroll.)
Sadly, when we visited on April 30th, the rhododendrons were mostly finished thanks to the unusually warm weather we had earlier this year. But not all was lost! Instead, there were dahlias everywhere! Apparently, two nurseries in Nara provide the temple with dahlia flowers year-round (we saw a similar display when we visited last summer). But given the number of flowers, I find it hard to wrap my head around the logistics of how that all works! How often are the flowers replaced? Who does it? How long does it take? So many questions!
The day was very wet and unusually cold, and only a few rhododendrons in bloom were to be found. However, despite our initial disappointment, we greatly enjoyed our visit. Next year, we'll aim for a week earlier.
(Click on the thumbnail for the full image. Then scroll.)
