While in most parts of the world there’s only the name “iris” for any flower of that family of species, Japan’s irises have distinct names for the most popular ones, the most popular ones being “hana-shobu”, with its yellowish hues near the petal base, the “ayame”, with its intricate petal patterns, and the “kakitsubata”, with the whitish, delicate hues.

During the festival, a variety of traditional Japanese cultural events are also held including a large-scale tea ceremony, haiku poetry readings, traditional Japanese dance, and Taisho koto Japanese harp performances.

The garden is also famous for being the place where Heian-period poet Ariwara no Narihira composed the haiku "Kakitsubata."