Kameido Wisteria Festival 亀戸藤まつり
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Kameido Tenjin (Tenmangu) Shrine Wisteria Festival is held in late April to early May. Entrance to Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine is a short walk from JR Kameido Station (Sobu Line).
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When the wisteria is in bloom, the shrine gets very crowded, especially on weekends. The alley leading to the shrine is also quite narrow.
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Tokyo Skytree now overlooks Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Tokyo Skytree and the first taiko bridge.
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Tokyo Skytree
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White wisteria and Tokyo Skytree at Kameido Tenjin Shrine
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View from the first taiko bridge in 2014.
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View from top of bridge in 2005. After 1997 or so, the flowers do not bloom as thickly as before.
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View from top of bridge years ago. The shrine has two "taiko-bashi" arch bridges. This is the view from the top of the first one soon after you pass under the torii.
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Another view from the top of the bridge years ago. Sadly, it doesn't bloom like this anymore.
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Another view from the top of the bridge years ago.
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Another view from the top of the bridge in the good old days. They don't bloom like this anymore...
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Tokyo Skytree and azalea and wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Tokyo Skytree and azalea and wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Tokyo Skytree and azalea and wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Looking back toward the the torii.
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Wisteria is low enough to smell.
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Path to the shrine. After you cross the bridge, there's a narrow path to the shrine, decorated by wisteria on both sides. Very crowded, but not unbearable.
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Wisteria trellis at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Tokyo Skytree and wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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White heron under the wisteria.
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White heron (shirasagi) hanging out on the pond.
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It soon snagged a baby carp from the pond. Poor innocent fish. It must be traumatic to be caught in a bird's beak and be swallowed whole.
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Second taiko-bashi bridge in 1997. You can see the second arch bridge which is right before the shrine hall. Compare this picture with the next one.
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Second taiko-bashi bridge in 2003. Notice how there are much less flowers along the edge of the pond. Also notice that the bridge has been rebuilt. It is now concrete painted fire-engine red.The old bridge was wooden with faded vermillion paint. I don't like this new bridge paint color.
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Photo taken in May 2014.
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Another shot taken in the good old days. Doesn't bloom like this anymore. The next photo shows what it looks like today.
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This is what it looks like today.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine wisteria and taiko-bashi bridge. Taiko-bashi is an arch bridge.
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The second taiko bridge and wisteria.
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White wisteria
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine's main worship hall.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine worships the famous scholar Sugawara Michizane. Many students pray here to pass school entrance exams.
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View from the shrine's worship hall.
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Shrine grounds include a kaguraden dance stage.
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During the wisteria festival, they hold various entertainment on stage.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine torii and wisteria
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Wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine's wisteria made famous by Hiroshige's woodblock print from his series called "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo."
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Old taiko-bashi bridge. You can see how crowded the bridge can get.
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Old taiko-bashi bridge. This is the first arch bridge you cross. Shot in 1997. The bridges had steps made of wood. Now both bridges are made of concrete with concrete steps. The paint color is also more red.
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This is an old, hand-tinted postcard of Kameido Tenmangu Shrine from the early 20th century. It mimics the woodblock print.
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Shot in 2003.
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Azaleas also bloom around the same time as wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine. Both flowers symbolize Golden Week which is a string of holidays in late April and early May, serving as spring vacation for many workers.
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First bridge and azaleas
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The first taiko bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo
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Torii and wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo
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Tokyo Skyrree at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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See this same shot during plum blossom season:
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine torii and taiko bridge with wisteria.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine also has many turtles in the pond. All these years, I thought they were cute. But I recently found out that these turtles are actually invasive species called red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin.Popular as pets when they are small.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo
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When the wisteria are in bloom, it is also lit up at night.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine wisteria at night.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine wisteria at night.
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Lots of people came to see the Kameido Tenjin Shrine wisteria at night in early May.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine wisteria at night.
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Bottom view of Kameido Tenjin Shrine wisteria at night.
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Raining wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Wisteria and Tokyo Skytree at night.
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Tokyo Skytree at Kameido Tenjin Shrine with the wisteria in bloom in the evening.
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Wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine lit up in the evening.
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Wisteria at Kameido Tenjin Shrine lit up in the evening.
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Tanuki welcomes customers to a restaurant in Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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A shop's shutter art near Kameido Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo
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Road to the shrine from Kameido Station. This main road from Kameido Station is closed on weekends. The shrine is accessible from Kameido Station the the JR Sobu Line.
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Kameido Umeyashiki is a rest place for tourists at the street corner near Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Kameido Umeyashiki has a few shops and eateries and some entertainment during the wisteria festival.
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Koinobori at Kameido Umeyashiki
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Kameido Umeyashiki is also the starting point for the Sky Duck amphibious bus tour.
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The bus has a propeller for river cruising.
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Kameido Shitamachi Koinobori Matsuri
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Kameido Shitamachi Koinobori Matsuri has carp streamers on ropes above the road. Near Kameido Station.
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Kameido Shitamachi Koinobori Matsuri
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