My first visit to Zenyoji’s chrysanthemums in 2021
I went to Zenyoji for its Japanese chrysanthemums! Have you heard of this temple? It is near Koiwa Station on the Sobu Line, about a thirty-minute train ride from Shinjuku. That puts it near Chiba prefecture. While it was far, I was happy to go and see something new.
What was my photo gear for this shoot?
Camera body: Fujifilm X-T3
Lenses:
- Fujifilm XF 10-24 mm F4 R OIS WR
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
How was my day with the Zenyoji chrysanthemums?
The temple is famous for its black pine tree. It is supposed to be more than 600 years old. The trunk is enormous, measuring many meters across. But, this time, my photos would be of the chrysanthemums.
It was a good event. And considering Zenyoji is a temple, few people lined up to pray. I got the feeling most had come just to see the chrysanthemums. These flowers are a huge part of Tokyo culture in November.
The chrysanthemums were in peak condition. They were equal to anything I saw in Tokyo in 2021. And there were probably more of them!
There was one thing different from the other exhibits in the city. It was the demographics. The age of the visitors seemed to be far above that of anywhere else I’ve been this year! I’m not complaining at all, mind you. Maybe the average of people on the east side of Tokyo is higher than in other areas? I don’t know, but please let me know if you do.
Photography there was very easy. As the courtyard was very spacious, I could quickly shoot between the people. And if someone got in the way, I moved to a less populated spot and returned later. Popular places like Yushima Tenjin are so different, where you might have to wait for ages at times for people to move.
I can’t wait to go back again. Next time, it will be to look at the temple. It’s quite a large place with several halls, a bell, and a pagoda. Zenyoji will make quite an excellent article for this blog. And Tokyo tourism should be happy to have it too!
Where is Zenyoji?
You can see that and all other relevant information on the official website.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave them below. And if you have been to this temple, did you enjoy it? Let us know what you think of it.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and okonomiyaki. His camera will capture the entire city one day.
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