Nezu Shrine Azalea Festival in 2019
The Azalea Festival at Nezu Shrine in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward is one of my favorite flower festivals. It’s lots of fun. Usually, there are many people in this beautiful and historic place. But the reason why I like it so much is because of the colors. The reds, the whites, and the pinks are so vivid! These photos are from 2019. It was a memorable event that year.

“Nezu Shrine Azalea Festival” photo gear:
Camera Body: Fujifilm X-T2
Lenses:
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
- Fujifilm XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS
Nezu Shrine Azalea Festival photo experience
Yes, some of the bushes hadn’t bloomed. But, when taken as a whole, the hill looked superb. The azaleas were a sea of color. I dare say they were the prettiest I’d seen up until that date. Going in the afternoon was the best idea. The sun illuminated all the important things. If you go in the morning, there will be more shadows due to the hill.
The weather was great too. It wasn’t too cold or too warm. The temperature was at that perfect spot. I certainly couldn’t make any complaints.
As you can see, visitors were lacking in 2019 which was unusual. I had hoped more would be there. There usually are. Sometimes we want to show these events as they normally are, not the exception. If you go on a weekend or public holiday, you will see the true number of people who turn up for this event. I wanted to show that. Oh well, there is always next time.
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have been to this event. It is a favorite of Tokyoite’s flower lovers. Read my complete article about Nezu Shrine for more information. It is worth it. Leave questions and comments below.

Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
More flower articles:
External related websites:
- Nezu Shrine (official website)