Iriya Asago Matsuri (Morning Glory Festival)入谷朝顔まつり

6th-8th July. A festival for morning glory flowers? Sure.

Iriya Asagao Matsuri, held from July 6 to 8 every year, is dedicated to morning glories. The producers showing their product in nearly 100 stalls that line Iriya Kishimojin - meaning Iriya’s goddess of childbirth and children, and the common name for Shingen-ji Temple - and Kototoi-dori Street attract as many as 400.000 people during the three-day period each year. In my view it's a nice event on a hot summer day to admire the standard matsuri action, get some matsuri food and enjoy youself.

Morning glory was first known in China for its medicinal uses, due to the laxative properties of its seeds. It was introduced to the Japanese in the 9th century, and they were the first to cultivate it as an ornamental flower. During the Edo period, it became very popular. The flowers were initially cultivated in Okachimachi, and as times changed they switched hands to producers in Iriya. By the mid Meiji period, the Iriya breeds were so attractive that they became popular as decorative plants.

The Japanese have led the world in developing varieties. Hundreds have evolved, such as a brownish coloured variant known as Danjuro, and varieties with such evocative names as 'Brocade of Dawn', 'Moon in the Dusk' and 'Wisteria Girl'. It has come to symbolize summer in Japanese horticulture and art.

Location: Iriya Station (Hibiya Line) or Uguisudani Station (JR)