Large Japanese irises are blooming at Hachijo-ga-ike Pond in Tenjin 2-chome, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture. Tourists peer into the pond with interest at the eye-catching purple and white flowers, exclaiming, "Beautiful!"

Blooming iris (Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture)

Japanese irises are perennial plants of the Iridaceae family. There are about 450 plants planted in the Aquatic Botanical Garden on the west side of the pond, and about 600 plants near the west side of the pond's center bank. They began blooming in late May, and currently about 150 plants are in bloom.

This year, the flowers are blooming late due to weather conditions, so Nagaokakyo City's Commerce, Industry and Tourism Department says, "They will probably all be in full bloom by mid-June."