The Iriya Asagao Festival has been held every year since the late-Edo period when morning glories (asagao) became popular among low-ranking samurai. Each year, more than 400,000 people gather to see more than 100 stalls selling morning glories.
Iriya's morning glories earned national renown from 1603 to 1867. Originally cultivated in Okachimachi, Tokyo, gardens flourished in Iriya. For the next 50 years, the Iriya breeds became popular as decorative plants. The Iriya gardeners bred more than 1,000 varieties of asagao via cross-pollination. Today, this three-day festival is sure to send you back to the Edo period's love of the morning glory!
