Rose festival 2021 at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens After a long lockdown in Tokyo, the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens Rose Festival 2021 was a much-anticipated floral escape. I woke up to an overcast sky, but I wasn’t about to let that dampen my spirits. A trip to one of my favorite places in the city for a dose of…
Aoyama Cemetery Cherry Blossoms: 2022 Report & Photo Tips Every spring, Tokyo transforms into a canvas of pink, and few places are as atmospheric as Aoyama Cemetery. While it might seem unusual to visit a graveyard for sightseeing, this location offers some of the most stunning photo opportunities in the city. In 2022, I grabbed…
Shinjuku Gyoen’s Unforgettable 2018 Cherry Blossoms Shinjuku Gyoen might be Tokyo’s most famous and most popular cherry blossom spots. You can read what gives it that reputation in [Shinjuku Gyoen is Tokyo’s Best Cherry Blossom Spot]. Now read on and learn more of my photographic adventures there in 2018. The 2018 cherry blossom season at…
Photographing Tokyo’s Cherry Blossom During the Pandemic 2020 was a difficult year, largely due to the hardship caused by the coronavirus. While it didn’t cause me any true difficulties, it completely ruined my flower photography schedule, as I tried to avoid going out as much as possible. However, I was determined to get some good…
The Transformation of the Kanda River Sakura As some of you might know, I live in Suginami Ward’s Takaido-Higashi. I’m lucky because in spring, many great cherry blossom spots are near my house. Shinjuku Gyoen isn’t far and neither is Inokashira Park. But luckily two more are within easy walking distance. One is Zenpukuji Park…
Spring Rose Festival 2020 at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens For most people, 2020 was a bad year. For photographers like me, cancelled events and empty streets filled Tokyo which was a disaster. That’s why the Spring Rose Festival at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens felt like such a gift. In a year of so much gray, these flowers were a…
My 2026 Kinuta Park Cherry Blossoms Season Started Today Recently, my professional life took an unexpected turn. One of the companies I work for lost a major contract, leaving many teachers, myself included, looking for new jobs. The timing couldn’t have been worse, coinciding exactly with the official opening of the Tokyo cherry blossom season…
Nezu Shrine Azalea Festival 2017 Spring in Tokyo is synonymous with color, and few places promise a spectacle quite like the Bunkyo Azalea Festival at Nezu Shrine. However, travel photography is often a game of timing, and even the best plans can fall victim to a busy schedule. On May 1, 2017, I finally arrived…
Aoyama Cemetery Cherry Blossoms: 2018 Photo Gallery I found myself back with the Aoyama Cemetery cherry blossoms in 2018. While I had hoped for a sunny day, the clouds had other plans. Still, the beauty of the sakura trees has a way of making you forget everything else, and I had a wonderful time. Photographing…
Shooting Kanda River Cherry Blossoms with a Fuji 35mm f/1.4 I photographed the Kanda River cherry blossoms again in 2020. That year, I had planned to photograph some new places. But due to the pandemic, that didn’t happen. It was a disastrous flower photography season. At least I had something close to home to fall…
Kanda River Cherry Blossoms: A Broken Camera in Tokyo When I visited the Kanda River cherry blossoms in 2017, I had a good and terrible day. Well, even though the sky was cloudy, the flowers were fantastic. The bad? My beloved Pentax K3 camera died. The rear display said goodbye, fizzled,and went black never to…
Shinjuku Gyoen Cherry Blossoms 2017: Hanami and Cityscapes Shinjuku Gyoen might be Tokyo’s most famous and most popular cherry blossom spots. You can read what gives it that reputation in [Shinjuku Gyoen is Tokyo’s Best Cherry Blossom Spot]. Now read on and learn more of my photographic adventures there in 2017. The 2017 cherry blossom…
Inokashira Park Cherry Blossoms 2017: A Perfect Moment Imagine standing by the serene pond, looking up at a canopy of Inokashira Park cherry blossoms in full bloom. For travelers seeking the quintessential Tokyo spring experience, this spot is unrivaled. Back in 2017, everything was in perfect alignment for a photographer: the sky was a brilliant…
Shinjuku Gyoen is Tokyo’s Best Cherry Blossom Spot After years of searching for the perfect hanami experience, I can say it with confidence. Shinjuku Gyoen is the best cherry blossom spot in Tokyo. While I adore the moody, atmospheric lanes of Aoyama Cemetery, it’s not for everyone. Shinjuku Gyoen is simply unmatched. It’s experience delivers…
Chidorigafuchi in 2017: From Mosh Pit to Morning Magic Editor’s Note: I’m often asked about the best way to see Tokyo’s cherry blossoms. It always brings me back to a specific morning in 2017 when I finally figured out how to enjoy Chidorigafuchi. This is that story. Chidorigafuchi Park is a popular place for cherry…
Testing the Fujifilm X-T2 on Tokyo’s Cherry Blossoms After years with my trusty Pentax K-3, it suddenly died. I needed a camera and I decided on the Fujifilm X-T2. I paired it with the highly-praised XF 16-55mm f/2.8 lens. This new kit felt like a different beast altogether. To get a feel for its dials…
My favorite cherry blossom spot is Aoyama cemetery Imagine stepping into a peaceful haven in Tokyo’s heart. A place where beautiful flowers bloom in silence. Their petals gently draped over weathered gravestones. No crowds, no noise, just you, your camera, and spring’s magic. This is Aoyama Cemetery, my favorite cherry blossom spot. Let me take…