Chrysanthemum Exhibition at Kyoto Botanical Gardens

Opened in 1924, the Kyoto Botanical Gardens are the oldest public botanical garden in Japan, growing some 12,000 species across roughly 24 hectares along Kitayama-dori. The chrysanthemum show is one of its regular autumn displays, running from 20 October to 15 November. Enthusiasts bring pots tended over a full year: three-stem large-flowered specimens, cascade forms, bonsai-style plants and small-flowered arrangements, and the pleasure of such a show lies in comparing how differently each training method shapes the plant. The dates fall exactly as the maples and sweetgums in the garden turn, so a walk afterwards along the Nakaragi-no-michi path or through Nakaragi Forest makes an afternoon of chrysanthemums and autumn colour together. The Kitayama Gate is directly outside Exit 3 of Kitayama Station on the Karasuma subway line; the Main Gate is about a 10-minute walk from Kitaoji Station. Last admission is 16:00, so avoid arriving close to closing.