河内藤园里梦幻的紫藤花，日本北九州市 Wisteria blooms at Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu, Japan (© Steve Tan C K Photography/Getty Images)

河内藤园里梦幻的紫藤花，日本北九州市 Wisteria blooms at Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu, Japan (© Steve Tan C K Photography/Getty Images)

日本的紫色天堂 Japan's purple paradise

Kawachi Fuji Garden

Today we're taking a trip to a Japanese purple paradise. This photo captures just one of over 22 different varieties of wisteria planted at the Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu, Japan. Hundreds of wisteria plants were meticulously cultivated to form tunnels that bloom, with shades of blue, white, purple, and pink. The walkable tunnels open into large domes of wisteria vines for visitors to sit under and bask in the fragrant flowers. An overlook gives visitors an impressive view of not only the flowers but also the surrounding valley and its bamboo groves.

The private garden wasn't necessarily intended to be a tourist destination. Founder Masao Higuchi just wanted to leave something behind as proof that he lived in this world. Work began on the garden in 1968 and in 1977 the garden was open to the public. If you want to see the garden, plan accordingly. It's only open for two brief periods a year: the wisteria season between late April and early May and the equally impressive maple season. In Autumn more than 700 maple trees change color, bringing another blast of color from mid-November to early December.

川崎富士花园

今天我们要去日本紫色天堂旅行。这张照片只拍到了日本北九州川崎富士花园种植的22多种紫藤中的一种。数百株紫藤植物经过精心培育，形成了开花的通道，有蓝色、白色、紫色和粉色。可步行的隧道通向紫藤藤的大圆顶，供游客坐在下面沐浴芳香的花朵。俯瞰不仅可以看到鲜花，还可以看到周围的山谷和竹林。

私人花园不一定是旅游目的地。创始人Masao Higuchi只是想留下一些东西作为他生活在这个世界上的证据。这座花园于1968年动工，1977年向公众开放。如果你想看看花园，就相应地规划一下。它一年只开放两个短暂的时段：4月底至5月初的紫藤季节和同样令人印象深刻的枫树季节。秋天，700多棵枫树变色，从11月中旬到12月初，又一次带来了色彩的爆发。