A day with Showa Memorial Park’s tulips
A day with Showa Memorial Park’s tulips! With their arrival, the world exploded into color. Spring 2022 is well and truly here. Flower photographers were in their seventh heaven. They give me a problem, though.
All the famous gardens for them are far from my apartment in Takaido. Tachikawa’s Showa Memorial is famous for them. It is the closest, but it is a thirty-minute train trip! And that time doesn’t include walking to and from stations.
Other famous tulip gardens are much further. Another is in Hamura City. That’s about one hour from my house. It is on the Chuo line past Tachikawa. The ones in Yokohama and Chiba are much further.
It was a no-brainer deciding where I’d go. Showa Memorial was the nearest. It would be my destination. Also, I’d been to the park many times before. I knew it. Everything about it is quality.
The weather was great. It was perfect for flower photography. A few clouds were around, but not many. Jackets weren’t needed as it was warm. I was happy.
The spring tulips covered a large area of the park. There were so many colors. I thought rainbows had fallen on the ground. They were beautiful. Hopefully, the staff get rewarded for their efforts.
It was hard to believe how many people were there. I went on a Wednesday, and it was extremely crowded. What would it look like on weekends? Obviously, it leads to problems for flower photographers.
I mean many people will end up in your frame. Most of us won’t like that. We want to photograph flowers, not people. So if you are looking for the best tulip pictures, wait until late afternoon. Wait until as late as possible.
Once people start to leave, the area will begin to empty. The only problem will be the time because the park gates are rather far from the tulip gardens. You need to be out before everything closes.
Here is one last thing about the tulip garden. Unfortunately, you can’t use tripods. You can use them in most other park areas, but not there. Sad but true.
While the flowers looked great, a few hadn’t bloomed, so I hope to go again. It would be great to photograph the tulip flowers of Showa Memorial Park at their best. Will my schedule allow it? We’ll have to wait and see.
Shooting Showa Memorial Park’s tulips tips
- Where is Showa Memorial Park? My complete article is here. It has all the information.
- Tripods are not allowed.
- Admission costs: 450 yen for adults.
- Best time to photograph the tulips? My advice is to shoot later in the afternoon.
- Nishi-Tachikawa Station is closest to a park gate and the tulip fields.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. And if you have been to Showa Memorial Park’s tulips, let us know your thoughts.
Showa Memorial Park's tulips photo gear:
Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T3
Lenses:
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
- Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and okonomiyaki. His camera will capture the entire city one day.
For more flower-related articles, look at:
External related websites:
- Showa Memorial Park (official website)