A Japanese azalea garden, Daikozenji, "Tsutsuji Tera"

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In the waning weeks of April southern indica azalea hybrids begin to flower across southern Japan, putting on a brief, yet explosive show. In the Fukuoka area there is a temple, Daikozenji, that has dedicated much of its grounds to a vast azalea garden. For this reason it is sometimes called "Tsutsuji Tera", meaning "azalea temple". It is said that 50,000 separate azaleas have been planted there, along with 500 maple trees, and a variety of other flowering plants. While the diversity of planting is fairly low, the overall impact of the garden is unmistakeable, especially since this is a temple full of all kinds of interesting traditional Japanese things. Come wander through the garden in this vid to get a better look at the "real Japan" - lovely and natural and all the while crowded and controlled.