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.

Yes, we lost the 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 Tokyo Skytree 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 though.  If you like Yoshino cherry blossom trees, you would have been in seventh heaven.  They were perfect.  And they were all the more so thanks to the amazing weather.

On the grounds of Yasukuni, are more than 400 trees.  Most of them seem to be between the Shinmon Gate and the main hall.  That area is home to a special tree.

When five buds on it bloom, 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 a popular one.  Every time I go to Yasukuni in spring, I see lots of 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 also about its 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
• Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
• Kitanomaru Park
• Koishikawa Korakuen

Notes of my Yasukuni Shrine photographs

I did handheld bracketing for all 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 in which there was rapid movement (e.g. kids running).

Wrapping up

As for the rest of my visit, it was nice.  Lots of people were at the shrine praying.  Many people seemed to be there just for the cherry blossoms.  Controversy aside, Yasukuni Shrine is a great place in spring.  You can see its English website here.