Spring in Japan means one blooming session after another. Right now, the wisteria is about to reach full bloom. Having a free day, with no adulting obligations, I decided to travel to Tokyo and visit the Kameido Tenjin Shrine to view the wisteria. It was a schlep, 1.5 hours one way. Far enough for me not to impose the trip on my husband or friends. Here was my route.

The Shrine is located near the Tokyo Skytree. It provided a delightful backdrop to several pictures.

I wish I could share the scent of the wisteria with you. It might be the one thing I will never have much luck sharing with you. It was truly delightful.


I decided to venture up today because next week is Golden Week. I’ll tell you more about the meaning of Golden Week later. For now, it means Japanese holiday and lots of crowds. I was glad to have smaller crowds today. Occasionally, I was able to snap a picture without people. First, a few of the crowds.


Flying solo, I could take my time and wait for the perfect shot. And I did. I waited and I was totally ok with it. Because the shots were worth it. Here are my favorites. The red bridge is in most of them – #becausejapan


Have you noticed the structures supporting the wisteria? Some are wood others are artificial. All are strong.


According to my research, Kameido Tenjin Shrine was founded in the 1660s to honor the memory of the ninth-century scholar, Sugawara no Michizane. The temple was just as beautiful as the wisteria.


While at the temple, I enjoyed my own miniature hanami. Japanese yam and a chu-hai. Life is as sweet as these roasted yams with sugary topping.


When you’re planning your springtime visit, we will see as many flowers as possible. You will need to be willing to travel. As my friend Jen reminded me, seeing stuff requires a little bit of effort. Just a few more pictures….

It truly was an amazing experience and worth the travel. I’m ranking this temple in my top five “seasonal” temples.