Blooming Flowers and Buddha - Myofukuji Temple in Choshi and the Wisteria of the Lying Dragon from Kyoto

Transportation: About a 7-minute walk from JR Choshi Station/Choshi Electric Railway Choshi Station 📍Address: 1465 Myoken-cho, Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture 🕰️Opening Hours: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Myofukuji Temple, located in Choshi, was established in the third year of the Shōwa era (1314), boasting over 700 years of history. The temple enshrines the deity Hokushin Myoken Daibosatsu, known as the guardian of the East Sea and a bringer of good fortune. One must-see attraction at Myofukuji Temple is the 'Wisteria of the Lying Dragon.' This wisteria, believed to be 750 years old, was transplanted from Kyoto's Imperial Palace to the temple during its construction, utilizing Choshi's advanced water transportation system. Every May, the wisteria blooms, creating a six-foot-long canopy resembling the shape of a dragon, hence its name. The 'Wisteria of the Lying Dragon' is a purple wisteria. When I visited in late April, about 50% of the flowers had bloomed, with roughly 1/2 to 1/3 of the clusters still in bud form. Full bloom is expected around late April or early May. Besides the Lying Dragon wisteria, the temple also has another smaller wisteria trellis, which was about 80-90% in bloom during my visit, with almost no gaps between the flowers and leaves. Unexpectedly, I also discovered a white wisteria trellis! The white wisteria clusters are shorter in length but visually appear fuller and more lush, creating a dreamy effect. Under sunlight, the white flowers almost seem overexposed. In addition to the wisteria, the temple grounds feature scattered azaleas and other flowers, as well as beautiful floral water basins. Myofukuji Temple offers wisteria-themed goshuincho (temple stamp books), seasonal wisteria goshuin (temple stamps), and wisteria-themed omamori (charms), making it a delightful place for shopping.