Out of Palaceside Building, a lunch-hour stroll to Edo Castle. About a month after the azaleas, satsuki azaleas are at their peak. Walking the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, pink flowers color many spots, but—predictable as it is—the Ninomaru Garden is still the place. Around Suwa Teahouse it is especially fine (photo above). Everyday care, once again, commands respect!!
Set beside the near-scarlet azaleas they may look modest, but gathered like this they are quite splendid.
In the iris beds by Ninomaru Pond, ayame and ichihatsu are over, kakitsubata still
linger, and hanashobu and nohanashobu are coming into their own. The pairing with satsuki hedges is lovely (photo at right).
Satsuki is written with the characters for the fifth lunar month; the name is said to shorten satsuki-tsutsuji. As the name says, they bloom in the old fifth month. They belong to the azalea family and once grew on rocky stream banks deep in the mountains—clinging close—so they are smaller than ordinary azaleas. Leaves of azaleas are about 5–7 cm long and 1.5 cm thick; satsuki 2–3 cm long and about 6 mm thick, half or less. Azalea leaves lack gloss and the undersides catch on clothing; satsuki leaves are glossy on top.
The East Gardens are open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30). They are generally closed Mondays and Fridays, with other temporary closures—please check.