Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2010

Over ¥12 million in prize money is on offer in what’s being billed as the largest and most prestigious orchid exhibition in the world. A magnet for flower enthusiasts for two decades, the JGP International Orchid Festival sees Tokyo Dome filled with some 100,000 plants, taking in 3,000 varieties of orchid from 20 countries and regions. Groups such as the Nippon Flower Designers’ Association and England’s august Royal Horticultural Society put their gardening and design skills to the test in categories such as “Fragrance,” “Flower Arrangement” and the intriguing “Miniature Orchid Garden.”
Japan Grand Prix International Orchid Festival 2010
World’s largest exhibition of 3,000 varieties of orchids and 100,000 plants. Feb 13-21, 10am, ¥1,800 (adv)/ ¥2,000 (door). Tokyo Dome, Koraku. Nearest stn: Suidobashi. Reserve at http://www.e-tix.jp/jgpweb/