I found myself at Aoyama Cemetery for cherry blossoms in 2018. Should I say, “Again?”. I was expecting it to be sunny for my visit, but the clouds had moved in. But even without the sun, I had a great time. The trees always make me forget my problems for a while.
The day before going, I attended AnimeJapan 2018. I was exhausted from it so I couldn’t get up early. Unable to lift my head from the pillow at 6 a.m., I put in a titanic effort and got up at 6:40.
After a quick shower, I packed my gear and was gone. Once out the door, my tiredness started to slip away as I started thinking about the photos I would soon take. By the time I got on the train, I was awake and ready to go.
The situation at the cemetery was disappointing. Cloud cover was widespread. Blue skies were missing. Most of the morning was drab and grey. The sky was rarely seen.
It was only in the last thirty minutes of my time at the cemetery that things started to fine up. But, as I needed to push on to my next destination, Chidorigafuchi, I couldn’t stay longer. It’s the curse of blogging. You always need more and more material.
I did do something different with my pictures this time. Usually, I let the camera meter the light, and I take the picture. But, this time, I decided to overexpose a touch. The reason for that is that whenever I look at my photos, especially of flowers, they seem on the dark side. This time though, I was happier about things. I still need to experiment a bit more, but now I’m on the right track. Brighter is better!
The cherry blossoms of Aoyama Cemetery weren’t at their peak but were close. I wanted to go back there again. That proved impossible as there were so many other places I wanted to go. Chidorigafuchi was next on my list that year.
Aoyama cemetery is one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in peace and quiet. Few people go there so you can enjoy the flowers at your leisure. It’s an urban oasis in Tokyo.
But, I have to admit that Shinjuku Gyoen was excellent. It had the best cherry blossoms in 2018. The weather for that visit was perfect. And that made the quality of the flowers so much better. Its only flaw is that it is crowded.
Photo gear for this shoot
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
Shinjuku Gyoen is Tokyo’s best cherry blossom spot. This enormous, immaculate park can accept many visitors and still retain a sense of space. With so many trees in a variety of settings, it’s perfect for photographers. How about you judge it through these photos?
Aoyama Cemetery is the perfect place to photograph cherry blossoms in spring. Cherry Blossom Road is the most famous photo spot there, which I skipped in 2025. I decided to walk the grounds and photograph huge trees draping their petals over stunning Japanese grave architecture. It was a different hanami.
The Imperial Palace’s Inui Street is a unique cherry blossom viewing spot. Once you pass through the Sakashita Gate, you are on a 750-meter path to see trees most people will never see. During peak times, 1000s of Tokyoites will join you on this relaxed walk through the Emperor’s home.
Chidorigafuchi Green Way is a popular night cherry blossom viewing spot in Tokyo. The park is on one of the Imperial Palace’s moats. For my visit, I faced the challenge of photographing in the rain. But I came home with valuable lessons for my fellow photographers. Read about them here.
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