South of Palaceside Building, across the Tenshin Moat lies the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace — a pleasant season for a leisurely stroll. Even after the rainy season began, fine weather has continued, so before the real rains come, it would be a waste not to walk now.
So I entered through Hirakawa Gate and peeked at the iris bed in the Ninomaru Garden. As the name suggests, it is iris season. Many are already in bloom; perhaps peak is about two weeks away.
Hanashobu (Japanese irises) are horticultural varieties developed through repeated improvement of wild "Nohanashobu" in the iris family. Quality breeding flourished from the Edo period, and by region of improvement they are broadly divided into Edo, Higo, and Ise lines.
What you see here is, of course, the Edo line. Colors are extremely diverse — purple, pink, white, yellow, and mixes of white and purple — with some 5,000 varieties said to exist. Personally, I think a slightly pinkish purple= photo upper = looks most authentic, but what do you prefer?
Look closely and some have name tags. Approaching a plant whose pale pink petals are white-edged with a touch of deep purple at the center, I found the label "Komachimusume" (photo right, center foreground). Somehow, it made sense.
The Imperial Household Agency website's "East Gardens Flower News" corner (http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/event/hanadayori/hanadayori.html) introduces seasonal bloom conditions with maps and photos — useful even for those who have rarely visited.