After cherry blossoms fade, what to see? Kameido Tenjin Shrine’s Wisteria Festival

By MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 
In spring Japan, the beauty of cherry blossoms flourishes, and right after the cherry blossoms come the romantic wisteria blooms. Starting from late April, Tokyo’s wisteria enters its flowering season, with delicate clusters of pale purple blossoms hanging from the trellises, swaying gracefully in the wind—perfect for those looking to enjoy wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine, known as “Tokyo’s No. 1 Wisteria Viewing Spot.”

Kameido Tenjin is a shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, and its wisteria trees have been planted since the shrine’s founding, boasting a history of over 340 years. The wisteria at Kameido Tenjin was already famous during the Edo period and even appeared in the work “Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces” by ukiyo-e master Utagawa Hiroshige. From late April to mid-May during the Wisteria Festival, around 94 wisteria trees bloom around Shinji Pond. Their flower clusters, some reaching up to one meter long, cascade down like waterfalls—like purple fireworks descending from the sky, creating a truly romantic scene. The best angle to appreciate the wisteria is from the flower-covered corridor in front of the Taikobashi (Drum Bridge) on Shinji Pond, where the crimson arched bridge complements the swaying purple wisteria sea—an overwhelmingly beautiful sight.