Kameido Tenjin Shrine, also known as Shitamachi-no Tenjin-sama (Tenjin shrine of downtown Tokyo) is famous for the Kameido Ume Matsuri, plum blossoms in the month of February and March as the city takes turn for the spring season. There are around 200 plum trees, as the diety enshrined here Sugawara no Michizane is enshrined, is said to have loved plum blossoms. Here is also a seedling from the sacred plum tree from Daizafu Tenmangu Shrine in Kyushu.
Located in the suburbs of Tokyo’s Koto Ward, the Kameido Tenjin is a popular shrine among the students as Sugawara no Michizane is enshrined here, deity of scholarship. Located close from Oshiage, the shrine also has got the new skyline of the Skytee in its back.
Visit the shrine in late February to mid of March to see the plum blossoms in the campus of the shrine. Here the Bonsai version of the plums is placed near the honjo, main hall of the shrine.
The shrine with over 200 trees is also famous for Wisteria in May, but in March you can see both plums in deep pink color and white early-sakura, haya-zakura
More plums
White haya-zakura at Kameido Tenjin Shrine
White zakura, continued…
The main hall panorama of the Kameido Tenjin Shrine
The shrine is popular for early-sakura, plums and wisteria flowers as shown in the wodden plate, ema, hung in the shrine. Most students come here to wish for good luck in their various academic pursuits.
The shrine is popular for its ponds with many turtles swimming in it. The word “Kame” in Kameido means turtles and the area probably had many ponds and wells in olden days where a lot of them were probably found, giving the place the name Kameido.
The mix of the old and modern is quite telling with the Skytree making an appearance in the backdrop of this shrine further enhancing the visual impact in the shrine.
One more view of the Kameido Tenjin Shrine from top of the Otoko-bashi in the shrine campus. Visit on a clear blue morning for maximum visual impact.
The Kameido Shrine is very beautiful in its illuminated state in the night with the Skytree in the background.
Sharon
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