Everyone who comes to Japan for cherry blossom season flocks to the top spots in Tokyo for good reason—they’re spectacular. Which means they’re also spectacularly crowded. But guess what? Locals know that just an hour away in Kamakura, you can see jaw-dropping pinkness and gorgeous blooming views at the most entertaining shrines and temples in Japan without all those people in the way.
As an added bonus, there’s another flower extravaganza blooming right alongside—the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine coaxes its peonies into bloom in early April, and plants them in a special must-see garden that’ll knock your socks off!
The cherry promenade runs from Tsurugaoka Hachiman’s giant torii gate right down the middle of the main street outside Kamakura Station…
You’ll be amazed at how insanely long this omotesando of cherry trees is…
and how they manage to all burst into bloom at once, forming a perfect tunnel of pinkness!
At the end, you’ll be rewarded with a cherry-framed view of the grand Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine…
and once you pass beneath this second torii gate, it’s hard to decide which wonders to explore first. There’s a huge lotus pond that becomes a lovely reflecting pool for the cherry blossoms…
and iconic red bridges are everywhere you look…
making for photos that could only have been taken in Japan!
It’s a chance to get up close and personal with the classic somei yoshino variety of cherry blossom and feel like you’re walking with your head in a pink cloud.
The peony garden is just to the right of the big wooden moon bridge that greets you as you enter the shrine precincts, and it’s well worth the ¥500 admission fee to see the gorgeous garden beyond. This private path borders the side of the lotus pond that’s lined with cherry trees…
And perfect specimens of every variety of peony are artfully arranged in boulder-strewn plantings…
each with its own umbrella to protect the blooms from the sun.
This parade of jaunty parasols and iconic Japanese flowers is a must-see cultural experience that few visitors know about…
and it’s well worth stepping off the beaten path to experience!
If you’d like to discover my favorite shrines and temples in Kamakura or browse the places I take my friends when they come to Tokyo, all my favorite destinations are on The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
and my top picks are organized into
For practical travel advice advice (using the trains, where to get cash, and stuff like that), click Travel Tips and Tricks (or you can scroll down past the destination buttons on The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had).
Click here for all the other Japan goodness on Jonelle Patrick Writes About Japan:
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 