Traditional Classical Chrysanthemums at the National Museum of Japanese History

The Garden of Everyday Plants at the National Museum of Japanese History was created in a corner of the Sakura Castle site to show, with living plants, how plants have shaped Japanese life. Its autumn special exhibition of traditional classical chrysanthemums is prized as a rare chance to see the varieties bred since the Edo period, quite different from the large show blooms of today. Saga chrysanthemums from Kyoto with slender upright petals, Ise varieties whose petals hang downward, Higo types with broad single flowers, and Edo chrysanthemums whose petals shift as they open were all raised in competition by feudal lords and townspeople across the country, and the garden shows them together with new flowers it has bred itself. The 2026 exhibition runs from 3 to 29 November with around 170 varieties and 500 pots, combining about 120 classical varieties and some 50 of the garden's own new flowers; the Higo chrysanthemums remain on show until 6 December. A curator's explanation is scheduled for 4 November and a guided observation session with an invited lecturer for 28 November. The garden opens 9:30 to 16:30 with last entry at 16:00 and is closed on 9, 16 and 24 November. Admission is ¥200, free for high school students and younger, and free for everyone on the opening day, Culture Day. Pot numbers may change with growing conditions.