Bunkyo Azalea Festival

Festival highlights

The main attraction is the azalea garden, where early- and late-blooming flowers open at different times.

Around 3,000 azaleas in about 100 varieties, in vibrant colors such as white and pink, are planted here. Depending on the time of year, you can enjoy the contrast with fresh greenery or see late-blooming flowers.

Performances on the shrine grounds include the Nezu Gongen Taiko, performances offered to the shrine, and a matoi parade.

Source: 100種3,000株のつつじが咲き誇る「第55回文京つつじまつり」を開催します【事前PR】 | 文京区 / つつじまつり

Discover spring culture at Nezu Shrine, where a thousand hues bloom

What to expect

First, visit Nezu Shrine and enjoy the azalea garden, taking in the different varieties and flowering times.

During the festival, there are also street stalls, pop-up sales by local shops, and traditional craft exhibitions.

Depending on the date, you can watch events such as a mikoshi procession, taiko drumming, performances offered to the shrine, martial arts offerings, Urayasu no Mai, and a matoi parade.

How to take part

General visitors can enjoy the azalea garden and watch events in the shrine grounds.

In 2026, a boccia experience session and azalea festival guide tours by lottery were also planned.

Participation requirements and whether advance registration is needed vary by event, so check the details before visiting if you wish to take part in an activity.

To see the azalea garden, visit the Nezu Shrine venue during the festival and pay the admission offering.

In 2026, the offering ranged from ¥500 to ¥1,000 depending on how many azaleas were in bloom, and admission was free for children aged 12 and under.

Guide tours required advance applications online or by return postcard, with 20 participants selected by lottery for each tour.

Check participation details

Location and access

Venue and address

Nezu Shrine (1-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyo City)

Train and bus

A 5-minute walk from Nezu or Sendagi Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, or Todaimae Station on the Namboku Line.

A 10-minute walk from Hakusan Station on the Toei Mita Line.

A 1-minute walk from the Nezu Shrine Entrance stop on the Toei bus, among other options.

By car

Parking is not available on the shrine grounds.

There is no parking for large buses either.

Parking

There is no dedicated parking.

Address 1-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyo City, Tokyo

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Dates and season

2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)

The 55th Bunkyo Azalea Festival in 2026 ran from April 1 to April 30, and the azalea garden was open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The garden was scheduled to open at 11 a.m. only on April 1, and the scenery changed throughout the festival as the flowers came into bloom.

The mikoshi procession, taiko drumming, and performances offered to the shrine were held on different dates.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

Entry to the azalea garden may be restricted when it is crowded.

Pets, eating and drinking, photography using tripods or monopods, and re-entry are prohibited in the garden.

Parking is not available on the shrine grounds, and visitors are asked to take their rubbish home.

Event dates and details may change.

Nearby attractions

A 2026 guided tour starting at Nezu Shrine featured a route visiting Nippon Medical School, Sendabō (Neko no Ie), St. Timothy’s Church, the University of Tokyo baseball field, and S-zaka (Shin-zaka), among other places.

The tour involved walking with a city-authorized tour guide to places associated with Mori Ōgai and Natsume Sōseki.

When visiting nearby places, check their locations in relation to the festival venue as you plan your visit.

Parks and gardensBunkyo City

東京大学大学院理学系研究科附属植物園

東京大学の附属施設の一つ

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：Daderot / Public domain

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Facility data source

Temples and shrinesBunkyo City

Nezu Shrine

東京都文京区の神社

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：Wiiii / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Bunkyo Azalea Festival

The Bunkyo Azalea Festival has been held at Nezu Shrine since fiscal year Showa 44.

During the Edo period, the site of today’s Nezu Shrine grounds was Tokugawa Tsunashige’s country residence, and the azaleas are said to have been transplanted there from Tatebayashi in Joshu during that time.

The azaleas you see today were planted after the war and have been nurtured into a garden of around 3,000 plants spanning about 100 varieties.

Source: 文京つつじまつり | 文京区観光協会

Official information

Check the Bunkyo City festival information and Nezu Shrine’s “Azalea Festival” page for the festival dates, azalea garden opening hours, garden admission donation, events, and access information.

The venue is Nezu Shrine. For inquiries, contact the Bunkyo Azalea Festival Executive Committee at Nezu Shrine.

Bunkyo Azalea Festival at a Glance

The Bunkyo Azalea Festival is a spring festival where you can enjoy around 3,000 azaleas of about 100 varieties on the grounds of Nezu Shrine, along with taiko drumming, mikoshi, and performances offered to the shrine.

In 2026, it ran from April 1 to April 30.

You can walk to the venue from nearby stations and bus stops, but there is no dedicated parking.