Sakura Jingu Shrine
Denisha Cerniglia
During spring, the shrine grounds are painted pink as the kawazu-zakura and then somei-yoshino bloom. These beautiful trees gave the shrine its name: sakura jingu (cherry blossom shrine). Usually, visitors write their wishes on plaques called Ema and hang them up in hopes the gods listen. But at Sakura Jingu, they do things a little differently. People write their wishes on pink ribbons and tie them to the sakura trees! They were so well camouflaged I only realised they were there after standing right in front of the tree. Cuteness overload!
A great find of Sakura Jingu and your photos of it are marvelous! You are fortunate to be already experiencing spring. Nothing is blooming outside here as temperatures are below freezing and more snow is coming.
Hi Celia,
Great find and beautiful introduction to the Cherry Blossom season. Judging from your photos, the shrine lives up to its name of Sakura Jingu. It has just ticked into Autumn here and nature has decided to throw a few 40C days (or thereabouts) at us, so thanks for these refreshing shots :).
John
Sakura Jinja was founded in 1869 by Matsudaira Yoshinori, the final daimyō of Tsuyama Domain, on the site of the Innoshō-no-yakata, the ruins of the fortified residence of the shugo of Mimasaka Province from the Kamakura period to the Muromachi period. In 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo, having initially failed to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate in the Genkō War, was forced to abdicate the throne and was exiled to the Oki Islands. En route from Kyoto to hi place of exile, he stayed overnight at the Innoshō-no-yakata. At this time, anti-Kamakura sentiment in western Japan was strong, and a local magnate in Bizen Province, Kojima Takanori, raised forces in an attempt to rescue Emperor Go-Daigo while he was being escorted into exile. Unable to find a suitable opportunity, he snuck into the Innoshō-no-yakata at night and carved a message into the truck of a sakura cherry tree with a poem proclaiming his loyalty to the Emperor and a pledge that he would one day rescue him. This story was recorded in the medieval chronicle Taiheiki.
The story gained popularity in the Bakumatsu period and with parallels being drawn between the Genkō War and the Meiji restoration, many feudal lords were searching for ways to ingratiate themselves with the new regime. Matsudaira Yoshinori petitioned for permission to erect a Shinto shrine on the site of the Innoshō-no-yakata, and the shrine was completed in 1869. In 1877, it was granted the rank of Prefectural Shrine, under the State Shinto System of ranked Shinto shrines. In 1907, the actor Kawakami Otojirō, who was performing a historical drama with Kojima Takanori as the main character, donated a new Haiden to the shrine. The current shrine building was rebuilt in 1923.
Archaeological excavations were conducted in 1973 to 1974 and from 1980 to 1981. The fortified residence occupied an area 200 meters from east to west and 150 meters from north to south. The location of a well and several structures were identified. Artifacts included Celadon porcelain, white porcelain, and Bizen ware.
Northern Japan's Tohoku Region and the mountainous central Chubu Region are beginning to take the spotlight in this year's cherry blossom season, as many locations in these areas approach full bloom while most of the country's southern and lower parts see their sakura seasons coming to an end.
One place where the cherry blossom season has reached its conclusion is Kyoto, with the city's Somei Yoshino (the most commonly found of Japan's cherry trees) looking increasingly barren by the day. Luckily, the ancient capital boasts some spots renowned for late blooming cherry tree varieties and so ideal for those who've missed out on the earlier festivities. Today I visited three of the city's most popular blossom viewing spots to see what I could find.
My first stop today was Haradani-en Garden, famous for its many late blooming weeping cherry trees. The garden is nestled in the hills above Kinkakuji in the northern outskirts of the city and could previously be difficult to get to. To combat this, there are now free shuttle buses that regularly go between the garden and Waraten Jingu Shrine (around 10 mins one way), which in turn is well served by local buses and is a 15 minute walk from Kitanohakubaicho Station on the Keifuku Dentetsu-Kitano tram line.
I am happy to report that although the late bloomers were beginning to loose their petals this morning, they mostly looked spectacular and made the garden awash with color. A few gusts aside, calm, dry weather is expected to continue in Kyoto for the next few days, and with this I expect that the garden will stay spectacular for around three more days.
My next stop today was at Philosopher's Path in Kyoto's Higashiyama district. The path, that follows a canal and gets its name from the philosopher who used to meditate along it, is lined by hundreds of cherry trees, making it a popular blossom viewing spot.
The scenes along the path today weren't as spectacular as at Haradani-en Garden, with the vast majority of the cherry trees looking relatively bare. The area's saving grace was its small number of late blooming trees that added intermittent splashes of color along the famous walk.
My final stop today took me to Heian Shrine known for its garden that contains many late blooming weeping cherry trees. I was pleased to find that although these late bloomers were showing a few signs of decline, they were still great to look at and made the shrine well worth a visit for those chasing blossoms at this, the tail end of the season. With predominantly calm weather predicted over the next few days, I am hopeful that the majority of the petals will hold on, and this place will stay great for viewing for around the next two to three days.
Known as one of the major shrines in Tokyo, Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the heart of Harajuku. Established in 1920 to commemorate Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, this Shrine is situated in 170-acres of lush greenery. Given its importance and the fact that Meiji Shrine feels like a world away from the bustling city, it is surprising that millions of tourists and locals visit this famous shrine per year.
Sakura Jingu Shrine is a small Shinto shrine located in the Setagaya area which has increasingly become a popular sakura viewing spot. Here, you can buy cherry blossom themed omamori and ema, a small wooden plaque to write wishes on. The shrine is said to bring general luck as well as help cure illnesses and ward off evil as many important deities are enshrined here.
Located not too far from Tokyo Tower, Atago Jinja is a Shinto shrine known for bringing work and academic success. Built in 1603 by the first shogun of the Tokugawa Era, Tokugawa Ieyasu, this shrine is dedicated to the god of fire, water, mountains and military.
Amazingly built quite late in history, in 1895, Heian-jingu proudly holds both the former name of Kyoto and the one of the Japanese imperial court at the time. Celebrating the 1100th anniversary of its creation, it partially reproduces the Imperial Palace. As a tribute, it also welcomes the arrival of Jidai-matsuri historical procession, every year on October 22.
Heian-jingu is unique in that it opens on a vast esplanade strewn with pebbles, featuring its very stretched main building. One gets the feeling that a large number of visitors stop to this place, whereas its real jewel is behind, between its sublime interior gardens and ponds.
The visit reveals its true potential during late sakura ? season, when weeping cherry blossoms (called shidarezakura) drop their branches adorned with beautiful pink colors. Once again, one of the treasures of the ancient capital is offered to the view.
When a gust of wet wind threw my map out of my hands, I was suddenly engulfed in a flurry of pink; encircled by a swirl of cascading petals tumbling gracefully from stark, black branches. They collected in the hood of my coat, on my hair and stroked like velvet over my hands.
It was in that moment of magic, surrounded by sakura springtime beauty, that I understood why cherry blossom viewing in Japan is such a treasured national pastime and why so many tourists, like myself, cross the world to watch flowers bloom and release in a fleeting and delicate dance.
Here is our guide to visiting Japan during the spring and how to make the most out of the cherry blossoms, from sakura viewing to hanami picnics to appreciating how the cherry blossom has become a national symbol for the Japanese.
Beyond the photogenic candyfloss clumps, there lies a symbolic meaning to cherry blossom viewing in Japan. Spring brings new life, renewal and rebirth, whilst the quick turnaround of sakura from bud to falling petal is a reminder of the fleeting nature of life, and the beauty that lies in that transience.
This Japanese philosophy of mono no aware is the appreciation of ephemeral things. So, although hanami gatherings of friends and family may be full of laughter and fun (see below), there is a very introspective element to cherry blossom viewing in Japan as well.
During the Civil War of 1868, the cherry blossom was appropriated by the reigning Meiji government. In Korea and Taiwan, cherry trees were planted to signify Japanese occupation. In the Second World War, the cherry blossom became a symbol of national pride and was used to unify the nation, with sakura painted on kamikaze planes.
The major cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka usually have the best cherry blossom opportunities in April. However, weather also plays an important factor in when the blooms start to appear, so keep your eye on the cherry blossom forecast.
One of the best sources of information about cherry blossom viewing in Japan is Japan Guide, which releases a cherry blossom forecast in February each year, though a quick Google will give you more options if you'd like to check more than one source.
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