Kameido Tenjin Wisteria in 2017
For my first long-gone blog, it was a struggle to find topics. I didn’t have the experience. Writing wasn’t my strong point. Searching for new topics occupied a considerable part of my daily routine. It was a major cause of stress. One day, someone mentioned flower festivals.
Luckily, Tokyo has lots of them and they are easy to find. Once I started going, I came to appreciate them. Now I go whenever I can. And the first flower festival I went to was at Kameido-Tenjin. It was a good experience.
Kameido Tenjin is a major Tokyo shrine. It is known for its flowers. Many different types are there, but wisteria are the most important. I was happy to see them as they gave me a pleasant surprise. It was more than I expected.
Wisteria, as they grow, climb up any available support and drop purple flowers. They are a type of vine. Kameido Tenjin has latticework for them to grow over.
The cool thing is that the shrine has ponds crossed by drum bridges. Drum bridges that the air raids of World War Two destroyed. These are replicas. You can use them for something.
During festivals, the bridges crowd with people because they are excellent vantage points. You can get some great shots from them. In front of you is a wisteria-lined path to the shrine and Tokyo Skytree in the distance. On a fine day, it is a superb scene.
Luckily, in 2017, I went when the wisteria were in full bloom, and the weather was great. And the fragrance of the flowers is very pleasant. I’ve become quite a fan of this festival. These days, I visit it at least twice a year.
And the pleasant surprise I had was a bird. Someone brought along a falcon! They put it on a pole and let people take photos. That was a first for me. And it was the last time until I went to Hama Rikyu Gardens in 2020. Yes, it took a long time to shoot one of the birds again.
The Kameido Tenjin wisteria festival is a beautiful event. Flower photographers love it. I go every year without fail. You should see it at least once! Leave questions and comments below.
"Kameido Tenjin Wisteria in 2017" photo gear
- Camera body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
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:
- Kameido Tenjin (official website)