2020 was a terrible year to photograph cherry blossoms. Coronavirus was the culprit. The hardship it caused, on many levels, was unbelievable. It especially ruined my cherry blossom schedule. I avoided going out as much as possible. But, I wanted at least one good session with the flowers. Once again, I headed to my favorite place, Aoyama Cemetery.

I needed to finish the season on a good note for two reasons. One was the death of the comedian Ken Shimura due to coronavirus. In all honesty, I wasn’t his biggest fan, but he was an entertainment icon in Japan. Turn on the TV, and he was always there, somewhere. His work schedule over forty-six years must have been incredible. Many people will miss him.

The other was the weather. Two days of rain in Tokyo conspired to kill the 2020 hanami season. I had hoped to see some new places. But it was mostly a washout.
So, with the end of the cherry blossom season imminent, I got up at 4 am. That allowed me to get the first train to avoid people and go to Aoyama Cemetery again. Yes, I went there a few days previously, but I couldn’t let it go. A few nice pictures of the cemetery’s cherry blossoms would put my world back on track for the rest of the year.

I planned to get in very early and take my pictures. Then, I would go home after the morning rush had finished. That would limit any interactions with others. With the weather forecast looking good, I was confident.

And I got my wish. It was a great morning, and the Aoyama cemetery cherry blossoms were perfect, still full-bloom! I got some excellent pictures. What do you think?

If you want to learn more about Aoyama Cemetery, click here to read the main article. It’s a beautiful place. And yes, some semblance of order was restored to my life in 2020.


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