Yasukuni Shrine Cherry Blossoms in 2022
The Yasukuni Shrine cherry blossoms in 2022 were the best I had ever seen there. Under brilliant weather, the flowers looked gorgeous. Mother Nature gave visitors a special treat that day! Unfortunately, we also lost a dear friend. Anyway, it was a great day of photography.
Photo gear for this shoot
- Camera body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
The 2022 Yasukuni Shrine cherry blossoms
It started on a sad note. We lost a friend. There is no more view of Tokyo Skytree from Yasukuni-Dori. On the cherry blossom-lined main road outside the shrine, you could once see the tower. A new building has gone up and it is no longer visible. That hurt me, to be honest. I always enjoyed seeing it as I walked across the street.
The rest of my visit there was great. If you liked Yoshino cherry blossom trees, you would have been in seventh heaven. They were perfect. That was thanks to the amazing weather. We had perfect blue skies with a few clouds. It was exactly how I liked it.
By the way, here is some trivia for you. On the grounds of Yasukuni, are more than 400 trees. Most of them are between the Shinmon Gate and the main hall. That area is home to a special tree.
When five buds bloom on it, the Japan Meteorological Agency declares the cherry blossom season has started in Tokyo. I don’t know why they chose that tree, but it is popular. Every time I go to Yasukuni in spring, I see many people take photos of it.
What to photograph at Yasukuni Shrine
Of course, there are the trees and the shrine. But for me, Yasukuni is always about the gates. They are huge. The one at the main entrance (near Kudanshita Station), has many trees near it. There are both white and pink cherry blossoms. It is perfect for classic sakura photos!
Other cherry blossom spots in the area:
- Chidorigafuchi (cherry blossoms on the moat)
- Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
- Kitanomaru Park
- Koishikawa Korakuen
Yasukuni Shrine cherry blossom photo notes
I did handheld bracketing for these shots. Even in this crowded place, it worked. The only thing I needed to do was take photos when people were moving slowly. I avoided scenes of rapid movement (e.g. kids running).
Conclusion
The 2022 Yasukuni Shrine cherry blossoms were nice. My day there was great. Lots of people were at the shrine praying. But most seemed to be there for the trees and flowers. Controversy aside, this place is great in spring. Leave comments and questions below.
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 articles
- Yasukuni Shrine (official website)