The Best 2024 Tokyo Cherry Blossoms
The best 2024 Tokyo cherry blossoms were at Aoyama Cemetery. I couldn’t believe my luck. After days of gloomy skies and relentless rain, I was gifted one stunning spring afternoon. We had blue skies, fluffy clouds, and cherry blossoms in their prime. With my camera in hand and the light just right, I discovered the magic of this amazing sakura hotspot. Let me take you through my experience.
Photo gear for this shoot
Camera Body: X-T3
Lenses:
- XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS
- XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
Did the cemetery have the best 2024 Tokyo cherry blossoms?
Let’s be honest. Going to every Tokyo cherry blossom spot in one season is impossible. In 2024, I didn’t go to any at night. Here is why Aoyama got the nod:
- The weather was amazing.
- I’m a big fan of Japanese grave architecture and there was plenty of it.
- The cherry blossoms peaked.
- It was the complete experience, the perfect day. Let’s look at it in more detail.
What happened at Aoyama Cemetery?
Until 2024, I had always gone there in the morning. This time was different. Earlier in the day, I was busy at Kinuta Park. So that meant I photographed Aoyama Cemetery’s cherry blossoms in the afternoon. I’d never done that before. A few pleasant surprises waited for me.
When I went in the mornings, the cemetery had quite a few people—the afternoon had many more. A few were walking dogs, but many were walking among the graves! They were enjoying their hanami.
Various groups were there but women far outnumbered the men. They certainly enjoyed taking selfies. Couples did the same. A few photographers posed their models over graves. Aoyama cemetery is the perfect Tokyo photo spot.
This year, I experimented with the Fujifilm XF 10-24 mm. Its wide field of view is attractive. Of course, the edges can become stretched but that is okay. The lens gives a different perspective due to its wide field of view.
I can never spend enough time at Aoyama Cemetery. There are many photos I take every year. But I refrained from taking one in 2024, though. That was Cherry Blossom Road. I’ve taken it so many times, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to skip it once. Plus so many cars were on it that it might have been dangerous.
This year, I found new angles from which to take photos. That was something I enjoyed. It’s just a matter of walking around. Of course, you need to keep your eye open and take photos that might seem a little dodgy. You only know if you have been successful once you see the images on your computer screen.
One last thing! I found a grave that interested me. It was for Jokichi Takamine. He was a chemist who had an interesting life. And did you know he was one of the people responsible for Washington D.C. receiving its cherry blossoms?
Unfortunately, his grave was rather plain-looking and had no cherry blossoms. I didn’t take a photo of it but it had fresh flowers. If you can find it, there is a plaque with a QR code for his Wikipedia article. It is interesting reading!
Conclusion
Aoyama Cemetery had the best 2024 Tokyo cherry blossoms. It was thanks to a combination of things. The flowers and weather were superb. I also discovered new photo spots and interesting graves. I’ll remember this day for a very long time. Hopefully, it’ll repeat in 2025.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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External related websites:
- Aoyama Cemetery (official website)