a day ago
About 200,000 Japanese irises at peak bloom in park north of Tokyo
About 200,000 Japanese irises in full bloom have created colorful flower carpets in a park north of Tokyo.
The irises, called "hana shobu" in Japanese, began to bloom in early June at the Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture.
The park says the irises have been blooming earlier in recent years due to high temperatures, but they have opened at the usual time this year because of the chilly weather in early spring.
Visitors to the park on Sunday enjoyed viewing the white and purple flowers and took photos.
A woman in her 60s from the neighboring prefecture of Gunma says she was surprised to see far more flowers than she had expected. She says they are elegant and beautiful.
Park official Koike Tomoko says Japanese irises are among the flowers that match the rainy season. She says she hopes as many people as possible will enjoy them.
The park says the irises will be at their best until around late June.
