Hydrangea (Ajisai in Japanese) is the sign of the rainy season in Japan. If Ume (plum blossom) is the sign of early spring, then hydrangea is the symbol of coming summer. In general, they start blooming from early June to mid July. During the gloomy rainy season, people in Japan usually enjoy viewing hydrangea flowers and festivals are held in many places to celebrate blooming of hydrangea. Although the rainy season is over now, tourists can still find hydrangea flowers here and there at Koyasan.
