Hydrangeas, Jizo statues, rain and no umbrella

Hydrangeas, Jizo statues, rain, and no umbrella. I think you can see where this story is going! It all happened at Takahata-Fudo temple. Things didn’t work out as planned. But in the end, I was happy.

The weather forecast said it would be a partially cloudy day. Around lunchtime, it was precisely that. The sky still looked good when I got on the train at Takaido. But after arriving at Takahatafudo station, I saw I had got it wrong. Or maybe my smartphone app did? Anyway, it rained for my June 2022 visit. I got wet!

Well, I got to Takahata Fudo-son’s gate before the rain started. That was something, especially as I didn’t have an umbrella. The rain wasn’t going to stop me. I wanted my photos. My Fujifilm X-T3 and its 16-55 mm lens were weather-resistant. 

That doesn’t mean waterproof. But it gave me some level of protection from the rain. My Fujifilm gear gave me confidence. 

And me? I got wet but was dry by the time I got home. In the end, I got what I wanted. I was happy with the hydrangeas, Jizo statues, rain, and no umbrella!

Takahata Fudo-son is famous for flower festivals. Another one is for chrysanthemums in November. The temple is a little far, though. On the Keio Line, it is about forty minutes from Shinjuku.

Let’s get back to the hydrangeas. The flowers are around the temple and on the hill behind it. There is no garden. It is very different from Hakusan Shrine. There are no plants in pots! And while you walk, discover the Jizo statues.

They are on the hill. There are eighty-eight Jizo statues. The pilgrim route in Shikoku inspired them. It’s pretty cool, and many of them have a quiz. If you know Japanese and are versed in Buddhism, you should breeze it!

The Jizo were great. They all had individual expressions. Some seemed sleepy, others looked content with life, and one or two looked angry. Some were in the hydrangeas, while others were up on the hill. Many had origami cranes around their bases.

I enjoyed myself, even though I didn’t have an umbrella. By keeping under the trees, I kept most of the rain off my camera gear. The towel in my bag was useful! Things could have been worse.

The conditions made me work hard for photos. But the results satisfied me. There is only one photo with the sky in it? That is something I like to avoid when conditions are dull. Mushy grey clouds are horrible.

And it wasn’t windy. That was great because I could do handheld focus stacking. I like that, but in retrospect, maybe I should have taken a flash?

Hydrangeas, Jizo statues, rain, and no umbrella photo gear:

  • Camera body: Fujifilm X-T3
  • Lens: Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR

For more flower articles, look at:

To learn more about Jizo statues, look at:

Anyway, let me know what you think of the photos.  I’d love to hear your opinions here.  Please leave your questions and comments below.

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